Regeneration: Kent

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what central Government funding is available for regeneration projects and community building initiatives in  (a) Thanet and  (b) Dover district council area in 2009-10.

Barbara Follett: The information is as follows:
	 (i) Thanet  district council  (DC) area for 2009-10:
	Within CLG's Area Based Grant, Thanet district council (DC) receive £132,647 for community cohesion, £258,000 for safer, stronger communities, and £1,598,807 from the Working Neighbourhoods Fund.
	From the joint CLG/DCSF Empty Shops Initiative, Thanet receive £50,000.
	From the joint DWP/CLG Future Jobs Fund, Thanet receive £773,500.
	Within the Thanet DC area, the Margate Dreamland project has been awarded £3.7 million (up to 2011) from the DCSF Sea Change programme and a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £548,000.
	Thanet is a neighbourhood crime and justice pioneer area and receives Home Office funding of £75,000.
	Kent county recently received an additional £64,000 for tackling antisocial behaviour. Thanet as a priority area for ASB are likely to benefit from this funding.
	SEEDA: The figures provided are forecast expenditure by SEEDA for 2009-10 for Thanet-£1,584,000 total.
	Turner Contemporary Art Gallery-£1,275,000.
	Margate renewal delivery team (this provides support for the Margate Renewal Partnership)-£90,000
	Eurokent Business Park, Broadstairs-£219,000.
	 (ii) For Dover DC Area for 2009-10
	Within Area Based Grant, Dover DC receive £90,588 for community cohesion.
	Within the Dover DC area, the Dover Castle refurbishment project has been awarded £3.85 million (up to 2011) from the DCSF Sea Change programme.
	SEEDA-The figures provided are forecast expenditure by SEEDA for 2009-10 for Dover-£444,000 total
	Dover Waterfront-£444,000.
	(iii) Thanet and Dover will also benefit in regeneration and sustainable community terms from investment spent outside the boroughs in East Kent and beyond, such as the £40,000 SEEDA is investing in the Dover Rail Reconnection transport project.

Sheltered Housing

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many almshouse residents are not in properties managed by registered social landlords;
	(2)  whether the rights of residents of almshouses which are not managed by registered social landlords differ from those resident in properties managed by registered social landlords.

Ian Austin: The National Association of Almshouses produces guidance for its members. The National Standards of Almshouse Management apply to all almshouses, regardless of whether they are properties of Registered Social Landlords (RSLs). All RSLs in England are regulated by the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) and must comply with the TSA's Regulatory Code.
	The number of almshouse residents who are not in properties managed by RSLs is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Athletics: East of England

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many publicly-maintained athletic tracks there are in each  (a) district and  (b) unitary council area in the East of England.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Local authority  Number of tracks 
			 Babergh District 0 
			 Basildon District 1 
			 Bedford District 1 
			 Braintree District 1 
			 Breckland District 0 
			 Brentwood District 1 
			 Broadland District 0 
			 Broxbourne District 0 
			 Cambridge District 1 
			 Castle Point District 1 
			 Chelmsford District 2 
			 City of Peterborough 2 
			 Colchester District 1 
			 Dacorum District 1 
			 East Cambridgeshire District 0 
			 East Hertfordshire District 1 
			 Epping Forest District 0 
			 Fenland District 0 
			 Forest Heath District 1 
			 Great Yarmouth District 1 
			 Harlow District 1 
			 Hertsmere District 0 
			 Huntingdonshire District 2 
			 Ipswich District 1 
			 King's Lynn and West Norfolk District 1 
			 Luton 1 
			 Maldon District 0 
			 Mid Bedfordshire District 1 
			 Mid Suffolk District 0 
			 North Hertfordshire district 0 
			 North Norfolk District 0 
			 Norwich District 2 
			 Rochford District 0 
			 South Bedfordshire District 0 
			 South Cambridgeshire District 0 
			 South Norfolk District 0 
			 Southend-on-Sea 1 
			 St. Albans District 2 
			 St. Edmundsbury District 1 
			 Stevenage District 1 
			 Suffolk Coastal District 0 
			 Tendring District 0 
			 Three Rivers District 1 
			 Thurrock 1 
			 Uttlesford District 0 
			 Watford District 1 
			 Waveney District 0 
			 Welwyn Hatfield District 1 
			 Total 33 
		
	
	This information is supplied by Sport England with data from the Active Places website.

Holiday Accommodation: Farms

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his latest estimate is of the monetary value to the economy of income generated by self-catering farm holiday accommodation in each of the last three years.

Margaret Hodge: VisitBritain are unable to provide the data requested, but have supplied the following figures for the annual value to domestic tourism of all overnight visits to farmhouses between 2006 and 2008.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2006 174 
			 2007 211 
			 2008 141 
		
	
	In addition, I am also aware of the tourism industry's concerns about potential impact of the furnished holiday lettings rule changes on the self catering sector, am continuing to discuss this matter with the Treasury.

Public Libraries: Wirral

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department on the recent inquiry into the provision of library services on the Wirral.

Margaret Hodge: The Department has spent approximately £80,000 on the recent inquiry into the provision of library services on the Wirral. This includes the cost of notifications placed in newspapers, consultant's fees, legal fees and the costs of staging the necessary oral hearings.

Sports: East of England

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many publicly-maintained sports halls there are in each  (a) district and  (b) unitary council area in the East of England.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Local  authority district  Number of  sports halls 
			 Babergh 17 
			 Basildon 26 
			 Bedford 50 
			 Braintree 19 
			 Breckland 21 
			 Brentwood 17 
			 Broadland 18 
			 Broxbourne 14 
			 Cambridge 26 
			 Castle Point 15 
			 Chelmsford 42 
			 City of Peterborough 19 
			 Colchester 34 
			 Dacorum 29 
			 East Cambridgeshire 16 
			 East Hertfordshire 31 
			 Epping Forest 17 
			 Fenland 12 
			 Forest Heath 8 
			 Great Yarmouth 13 
			 Harlow 19 
			 Hertsmere 26 
			 Huntingdonshire 25 
			 Ipswich 31 
			 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 23 
			 Luton 34 
			 Maldon 10 
			 Mid Bedfordshire 27 
			 Mid Suffolk 15 
			 North Hertfordshire 24 
			 North Norfolk 19 
			 Norwich 20 
			 Rochford 13 
			 South Bedfordshire 25 
			 South Cambridgeshire 23 
			 South Norfolk 24 
			 Southend-on-Sea 27 
			 St. Albans 31 
			 St. Edmundsbury 32 
			 Stevenage 18 
			 Suffolk Coastal 23 
			 Tendring 14 
			 Three Rivers 14 
			 Thurrock 27 
			 Uttlesford 15 
			 Watford 13 
			 Waveney 28 
			 Welwyn Hatfield 22 
			 Total 1066 
		
	
	This information is supplied by Sport England with data from the Active Places website.

Tourism: VAT

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will consult representatives of the hospitality and tourism industry on the effect that the application of a reduced rate of value added tax would have on that sector.

Margaret Hodge: I have regular discussions with representatives from the Tourism Advisory Council and the Tourism Alliance and continue to work across Government to represent the concerns of the tourism industry at the highest level.
	The rate of value added tax is a matter for HM Treasury. I remain in discussion with the Treasury about the impact a reduced rate would have.

Departmental Public Consultation

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent on public consultations in the last two years.

Dan Norris: DEFRA has carried out more than 161 consultations in the last two years (81 in 2007, 80 in 2008). These consultations have been paper-based and on line. The size and scope of the consultations varies widely and it would be possible to calculate the spend only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost to his Department was of provision of office facilities to (a) special advisers and  (b) press officers in the 2008-09 financial year.

Huw Irranca-Davies: During the 2008-09 financial year, the Department provided office accommodation at the following annual cost:
	 (a) For special advisers: £44,930
	 (b) For press officers: £142,434.

Departmental Recruitment

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of jobs advertised by his Department in the last 12 months were online only applications; and what provision his Department makes for those wishing to apply for jobs in his Department who do not have access to the internet.

Dan Norris: DEFRA and our Executive Agencies are increasingly introducing on-line elements to recruitment such as Occupational Personality Questionnaires. On-line processes are also more efficient, especially for high volume recruitment. However, if asked we always make hard copy and email versions available to applicants who are not able to use the on-line elements of our processes.

Food: Waste

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated research on the quantity of food wastage since the Waste Resources Action Plan's 2007 report, "The food we waste".

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the monetary value of food  (a) spoiled and  (b) disposed of in each of the last six years.

Dan Norris: The Waste and Resources Action Programme published the findings of new research into the quantity of household food and drink waste earlier this month. This revealed that 8.3 million tonnes of food and drink are thrown away by households each year, most of which (5.3 million tonnes) could have been consumed. This avoidable food and drink waste is worth £12 billion, costing on average around £480 for every household a year, increasing to £680 a year for households with children. If we stopped wasting all this avoidable food and drink it would save at least 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to taking one in four cars off UK roads.
	DEFRA's Waste and Resources Evidence Programme has not commissioned any research on the quantity of food wastage in that time period. However, some evaluation of survey material on separately collected food waste has been undertaken through a research project examining municipal waste composition.

Landfill: Health Hazards

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) complaints,  (b) court actions and  (c) fines there were against landfill sites for problems related to (i) odours, (ii) water pollution, (iii) air pollution and (iv) human health impact in each region in each of the last 10 years; what the locations were of the sites in respect of which each fine was levied; and what the fine was in each case.

Dan Norris: The number of complaints made, court cases brought, and fines levied against landfill operators in each region for offences related to odour, water pollution and air pollution in each year since 2001 are listed in the following table. The Environment Agency's National Incident Recording System started in 2001. Interrogating systems which hold information prior to 2001 would incur disproportionate cost as the data was not collated centrally.
	A more detailed breakdown, including the locations of the sites involved will be placed in the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Number of incidents 
			   Region  Total number related to landfills  Air pollution-odour related  Air pollution-not odour related  Water pollution  Number of court cases  Total fines (£) 
			  2001 Anglian 60 28 19 3 3 20,000 
			  Midlands 71 48 14 5 3 3,000 
			  North East 96 35 25 6 0 0 
			  North West 762 332 378 9 2 13,000 
			  Southern 75 42 26 7 6 38,000 
			  South West 33 10 15 6 0 0 
			  Thames 31 18 13 3 0 0 
			 
			  2002 Anglian 77 40 23 5 3 75,000 
			  Midlands 124 51 27 10 1 1,250 
			  North East 116 45 14 14 0 0 
			  North West 445 369 82 10 3 31,000 
			  Southern 75 50 16 4 1 8,500 
			  South West 36 8 12 6 2 4,500 
			  Thames 56 19 22 8 0 0 
			 
			  2003 Anglian 54 31 20 3 1 15,000 
			  Midlands 104 57 28 5 5 12,500 
			  North East 94 43 16 8 2 5,500 
			  North West 155 93 45 6 3 12,000 
			  Southern 58 45 20 5 1 6,000 
			  South West 25 2 3 5 0 0 
			  Thames 51 27 20 2 0 0 
			 
			  2004 Anglian 85 34 26 2 0 0 
			  Midlands 103 40 42 10 5 42,000 
			  North East 121 40 35 13 1 2,000 
			  North West 109 64 47 4 2 20,000 
			  Southern 62 45 9 2 1 30,000 
			  South West 45 18 9 9 4 17,000 
			  Thames 67 48 36 1 1 10,000 
			 
			  2005 Anglian 76 44 20 3 0 0 
			  Midlands 57 20 26 10 2 42,000 
			  North East 93 46 32 4 3 2,000 
			  North West 78 51 22 5 2 8,000 
			  Southern 28 19 16 1 1 10,000 
			  South West 22 15 6 1 0 0 
			  Thames 42 32 27 3 0 0 
			 
			  2006 Anglian 73 47 20 4 2 47,500 
			  Midlands 43 12 18 7 1 4,000 
			  North East 41 13 9 3 4 28,800 
			  North West 41 23 14 0 0 0 
			  Southern 13 5 4 0 4 12,500 
			  South West 45 15 8 9 1 35,000 
			  Thames 37 13 6 7 1 0 
			 
			  2007 Anglian 60 32 13 8 11 41,000 
			  Midlands 51 24 21 8 0 0 
			  North East 72 28 25 5 3 22,000 
			  North West 28 18 10 4 0 0 
			  Southern 33 30 15 2 0 0 
			  South West 63 37 31 4 3 42,000 
			  Thames 36 18 14 5 9 38,249 
			 
			  2008 Anglian 51 32 8 4 2 13,000 
			  Midlands 51 24 18 5 1 16,000 
			  North East 117 73 46 8 4 4,000 
			  North West 17 10 6 2 0 0 
			  Southern 66 27 13 4 2 7,400 
			  South West 41 34 17 4 5 92,875 
			  Thames 39 31 12 3 1 20,000

Waste Disposal: Finance

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what expenditure from the public purse on  (a) anaerobic digestion and  (b) composting of waste was in each of the last three years; what it is expected to be in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: The figures for capital spend in England on anaerobic digestion and composting of waste from the Department of Energy and Climate Change's Bio-energy Capital Grant Scheme and for future spend on DEFRA's Anaerobic Digestion Demonstration Programme and the Organics Capital Grant Programme are set out as follows.
	
		
			  Bio-energy capital grant scheme 
			   £ 
			 2006-07 0 
			 2007-08 479,521 
			 2008-09 37,500 
			  Projected spend for next three years  
			 2009-10 80,000 
			 2010-11 20,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Anaerobic digestion demonstration programme 
			   £ 
			 2009-10 6,505,101 
			 2010-11 3,289,614 
		
	
	
		
			  Organics capital grant programme 
			   £ 
			 2009-10 2,535,206 
			 2010-11 293,149 
		
	
	The following amounts have yet, to be committed by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which administers the Organics Capital Grant Programme on behalf of DEFRA. This provides capital support for both anaerobic digestion and in-vessel composting. WRAP is not yet in a position to say how these resources will be split between the two technologies.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2009-10 1,703,803 
			 2010-11 8,281,247 
		
	
	Anaerobic digestion projects will also be eligible to bid for the upcoming round six of the Bio-energy Capital Grant Scheme. This may result in additional resources being granted to anaerobic digestion projects.
	DEFRA is also making funding available for anaerobic digestion through the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). The Regional Development Agencies that deliver the socio-economic elements of the RDPE are looking to fund anaerobic digestion projects but are not yet able to say what the level of expenditure will be on these projects over the next three years.

Departmental Plants

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department has spent on  (a) cut flowers and  (b) pot plants in 2008-09.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) does not record expenditure under these headings. However, the total costs paid by the NIO, including its arms length bodies and the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland but excluding its agencies and NDPB's, to florists and nurseries in 2008-09 was £27,980.
	Flowers and pot plants are purchased when the NIO hosts official events and receptions. During this period, the Department hosted a wide range of official events at Hillsborough Castle, which included receptions for military personnel and their families on return from Afghanistan, Iraq and other foreign postings; Royal Garden Parties and individual visits by members of the Royal family; receptions for local civic and community leaders; and other occasions including a number of visits by foreign dignitaries and events for charities such the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
	These figures also include flowers purchased for events which are held in Hillsborough Castle on behalf of other parties. Although the NIO does not charge these external customers directly for the cost of flowers, provision is included within a facility hire charge.

Domestic Violence: Prosecutions

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Solicitor-General how many prosecutions there were for offences related to domestic abuse in each of the last three years.

Vera Baird: The number of defendants prosecuted by the CPS for offences of domestic violence was as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2006-07 57,361 
			 2007-08 63,819 
			 2008-09 67,094 
		
	
	The above figures comprise offences of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those who are, or have been, intimate partners for family members.
	The increase in volumes over the three-year period is believed to reflect the greater willingness of victims of domestic violence to come forward and report offences to the police, as well as improvements in CPS record keeping.

London-Scotland High Speed Rail Link

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what progress has been made on plans for a new high speed rail link between London and Scotland.

Chris Mole: The High Speed 2 company will report to Ministers by the end of the year on the case for a new line to the West Midlands and on the options for a larger network serving the North West, Yorkshire, North East and Scotland. We will consider the company's report and respond to proposals in the new year.

Rail Franchising

David Taylor: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent representations he has received on proposed changes to the franchise arrangements for operating national rail passenger services.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport has received a number of representations with regard to amending the current national rail franchise arrangements. These representations have come from a number of bodies including the Association for Train Operating Companies, train operators and owning groups both from the UK and overseas.

Airports

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will encourage airport operators to provide airbridge facilities at all UK airports.

Paul Clark: The provision of air bridge facilities for passengers is an operational and commercial matter for individual airports.

Bicycles: Highway Code

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that cyclists comply with the Highway Code.

Paul Clark: The Driving Standards Agency's publishers-The Stationery Office-promote the official print edition of the Highway Code under the banner "The Highway Code-for life, not just for learners". The Agency is also planning a TV filler advert specifically featuring a cyclist as someone who needs to refer to the Highway Code.
	The Department developed a new National Standard for cycle training called Bikeabililty (in England). The new National Standard aims to increase the amount of training, improve its quality, as well as make sure that cyclists are aware of the law. The Standard refers specifically to the Highway Code as providing important guidance for cyclists, detailing both the law and recommended practice. We have also developed a new THINK! Education website with resources for primary school teachers, pupils and parents covering the themes of cycle training, wearing the correct clothes, cycle maintenance and using the Highway Code.
	The enforcement of cycling offences is an operational matter for individual chief officers of police. The hazards caused by cyclists who break road traffic laws are recognised by chief officers and appropriate action is taken where such offences are detected. We support action taken by the police to deter and reduce the number of cycling offences.

Cycling: Accidents

Peter Bone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many children were  (a) killed and  (b) seriously injured whilst riding a bicycle in the latest year for which figures are available.

Paul Clark: 12 children (aged 0-15) on pedal cycles were killed and 405 seriously injured in reported road accidents in 2008, the latest year for which figures are available.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing

John Whittingdale: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps he is taking to relieve congestion at the Dartford crossing; and if he will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The Highways Agency are implementing a package of measures, including average speed cameras and further traffic management technology to improve journey times.
	The Department is taking forward further work investigating measures to improve performance at the existing crossing in the short to medium term.

Trust Ports

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent representations he has received on the commercialisation of Trust Ports assets.

Paul Clark: We received representations about various trust port issues during the consultation on our proposed guidance to the trust port sector. We have asked the major trust ports themselves to respond to us on restructuring issues including commercialisation of their assets.

Trust Ports

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer,  (b) the British Ports Authority,  (c) individual Trust Ports,  (d) banks and  (e) local authorities on the commercialisation of Trust Port assets;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer,  (b) the British Ports Authority,  (c) individual Trust Ports,  (d) banks and  (e) local authorities on alternative business models for Trust Ports.

Paul Clark: I met the director and chairman of the British Ports Association in October to discuss trust port issues including the implications of the request in Modernising Trust Ports, our guidance to the sector, for analyses by the major trust ports of their corporate structures. In addition, officials have had various discussions with the individual ports and their advisers, and banks, about the issues concerned. The Secretary of State has also met representatives from the ports of Dover and Tyne and Dover district council.

Trust Ports

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that the revenue raised through any privatisation of Trust Ports can be used for the benefit of the local communities in which those ports are located.

Paul Clark: Under the Ports Act 1991 a trust port privatising must form a successor company and make a transfer scheme for the Secretary of State's approval after a public consultation. A levy is chargeable on the disposal by the port authority of the securities of the successor company. We would consider the allocation of sale proceeds at the time that any voluntary privatisation scheme was submitted to the Department for Transport. We would also consider the desirability of encouraging allocation of equity to managers and employees of the port.

Trust Ports

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the favourability of market conditions for the commercialisation of Trust Port assets.

Paul Clark: None. I would expect the trust ports to include some assessment of market conditions in their responses to our request for structural analyses.

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Deloitte Report

Andrew Turner: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what discussions she has had with the Chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the timing of the publication of the report by Deloitte on its operations.

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what discussions she has had with the Chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the timing of the publication of the report by Deloitte on its operations.

Maria Eagle: The Commission published this report on its website on 26 November 2009. I was not involved in that decision or in its timing.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what the cost was of maintaining the Government Equalities Office website in the 2008-09 financial year; and what the forecast cost is of maintaining websites within her responsibility in the 2009-10 financial year.

Michael Jabez Foster: The cost of maintaining the Government Equalities Office website in the 2008-09 financial year was £4,276.45.
	The forecast cost of maintaining the same website in the 2009-10 financial year is £7,500.00.

Equality Bill

Evan Harris: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what revisions were made to the Explanatory Notes to the Equality Bill following Committee stage; and what the reasons were for each such revisions.

Michael Jabez Foster: The Equality Bill was first published on 27 April this year with accompanying explanatory notes. The explanatory notes were republished on 19 November 2009, when the Bill was reintroduced in the House of Commons, following the Queen's Speech.
	Revisions to the explanatory notes were made to reflect changes to the Bill made in the Public Bill Committee and issues raised in debate, and to make some clarifications and corrections of cost estimates and minor typographical errors.

Carbon Monoxide

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will bring forward proposals to ensure that equipment sold for the sustained burning of fuel carries  (a) a warning of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and  (b) a recommendation for a carbon monoxide monitor.

Jonathan R Shaw: Gas supply companies are required by Ofgem to annually provide consumers with information about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. The Government encourage consumers to have appliances regularly maintained and install carbon monoxide alarms as an additional protection measure.
	DCLG are currently consulting on amendments to part J of the Building Regulations which include proposals to fit carbon monoxide alarms in properties where solid fuel appliances are installed.

Winter Fuel Payments

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost to the public purse of winter fuel allowance was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: £2.7 billion was spent on winter fuel payments in 2008-09.
	 Note:
	Figure is rounded to the nearest 100 million
	 Source:
	Information Directorate

Afghanistan

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on potential EU diplomatic contributions to the campaign in Afghanistan.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary regularly discusses the EU's role in Afghanistan with his EU counterparts. The UK has supported Sweden, the current Presidency, in prioritising Afghanistan within the EU, including driving forward a new strategy to enhance EU engagement in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This strategy was discussed and adopted at the European Council on 30 October 2009.
	The EU's assistance to Afghanistan and Pakistan is substantial and has been steadily increasing. Assistance to date has achieved much, including better access to health provisions; support to rural livelihoods; support to Afghan refugees; rebuilding infrastructure and support to the reestablishment of public services, including paying the salaries of key public workers (teachers, nurses and doctors). But it is right that we, the EU, look to see how we can deliver even more.

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he received on anti-Semitic behaviour by pupils of North Naples Middle School, Florida in November 2009; whether he has had discussions with to the US administration on that matter; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has received no independent reports about the behaviour of pupils at North Naples Middle School in Florida in November, but he is aware of the press coverage. We believe that any instances of anti-Semitic and discriminatory behaviour-particularly by children-are a cause for common concern. We note that the school has treated the matter very seriously and has been reportedly quick to take action to address the issue. This includes through an address to students by the Assistant Principal covering the student code, an explanation of why what happened was wrong, the in-school suspension of the offending students and the summoning of their parents to school conferences.
	Anti-Semitism is a cause of common concern for the US and UK, and we continue to work closely with the US Administration and other partners to combat anti-Semitism wherever it occurs. For example, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been a strong supporter of the All Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Anti-Semitism since it launched in 2006, working in partnership with the All Party Group, colleagues across Government and Jewish non-governmental organisations to drive forward recommendations made in the inquiry. Our embassies have also supported inquiry members in their overseas visits, spreading the All Party Group's unique approach to dealing with anti-Semitism to other countries, such as the US, Germany, Canada, Latvia and Argentina.

China: Politics and Government

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the US administration on its policy on the resumption of dialogue between the Chinese Government and representatives of the Dalai Lama.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed with the US Administration its policy on the resumption of dialogue between the Chinese Government and representatives of the Dalai Lama. US President Barack Obama discussed the matter with President Hu of China during his recent visit to that country, informing him of the support of the US for an early resumption of dialogue between the Chinese Government and representatives of the Dalai Lama.
	We have discussed the issue at official level here and share the view with the US Administration that the interests of both Chinese and Tibetans are best served by a resumption of dialogue. We have encouraged the Chinese in that direction, including during my visit to China and Tibet in September where I made clear in my discussions our view that long term stability can only be achieved through respect for human rights and greater autonomy, which in turn can be reached through substantive dialogue.

KBR

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has entered into any contracts with Kellogg, Brown and Root or its subsidiaries since January 2009.

Chris Bryant: Since January 2009, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has entered into one contract with Kellogg, Brown and Root for the provision of 'Life Support' in Iraq. This includes catering, laundry, site management, cleaning services, site and accommodation waste removal and vector control. The contract has an estimated value of £3 million per annum.

Capita

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether any contracts between Capita Group plc and his Department and its predecessors have been cancelled before completion since 1997; and whether Capita Group plc has been liable for any penalties arising from failings in the administration of contracts since 1997;
	(2)  on how many occasions Capita Group plc tendered for contracts let by his Department and its predecessors in each of the last five years; how many such tenders were successful; how much his Department and its predecessors paid to Capita Group plc for the execution of contracts in each such year; how many contracts which terminate after 2010 Capita Group plc hold with his Department; and what the monetary value is of all outstanding contracts between his Department and Capita Group plc.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice was formed on the 9 May 2007. This merger included the former Department of Constitutional Affairs and the National Offender Management Service, which was formerly part of the Home Office. Expenditure related to external consultants is not held centrally. To obtain this information would require approaching a large number of local business units across England and Wales and this could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.
	Centrally available data shows that 16 contracts were awarded to Capita Resourcing Ltd. (part of Capita Group plc) for the provision of professional services from the period 1 May 2008 to present. Of these, three terminate after 31 December 2010.
	Data about cancellation before completion, liability for penalty payments, the number of times a company tenders for business and its subsequent success rate and the monetary value of all outstanding contracts is not held centrally, for the reasons explained above, and could be gathered only at disproportionate cost. The Ministry of Justice is implementing a new procurement system that will enable more data to be captured and maintained. Implementation is due to complete at the beginning of 2010 with information being available in the second quarter of 2010.

Terry Jupp

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what reasons the inquest into the death of Mr Terry Jupp has been further postponed; on what date he expects the inquest to begin; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Operational matters, such as the reasons for the adjournment and the listing of inquests, are solely for coroners, who are independent judicial office holders. I understand, however, that the coroner for Southend and South East Essex, Dr. Peter Dean, hopes to resume the inquest into Mr Jupp's death in May 2010.

Young Offenders: Location

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of young people in young offender institutions aged  (a) between 10 and 12,  (b) between 13 and 15,  (c) 16 or 17 and  (d) between 18 and 20 years old were held over 20 miles away from their previous homes in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows the number and percentage of 15 to 20-year-old male and female offenders in young offender institutions (YOIs) who were detained over 20 miles from their home area, in each of the last five years. Data prior to 2005 is not available in the format requested.
	All prisoners are asked for details of their home address on first reception to prison and on discharge from prison. Approximately 60 per cent. of prisoners (both male and female) are shown to have given a recognised address.
	If no address is given, various proxies are used to determine distance from home, including next-of-kin address and committal court address.
	Those aged 10 to 14 are not held in YOIs.
	
		
			  Date  Number of 15-year-olds held over 20 miles from home  Proportion of 15-year-olds held over 20 miles from home (Percentage)  Number of 16 and 17-year-olds held over 20 miles from home  Proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds held over 20 miles from home (Percentage)  Number of 18,19 and 20-year-olds held over 20 miles from home  Proportion of 18, 19 and 20-year-olds held over 20 miles from home (Percentage) 
			 September 2005 213 80 1,607 80 4,348 82 
			 September 2006 256 82 1,772 82 4,656 82 
			 September 2007 217 82 1,721 81 4,645 80 
			 September 2008 198 82 1,702 80 4,672 80 
			 May 2009 161 76 1,435 78 4,886 83

Departmental Contracts

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria his Department uses in determining the award of contracts; and how much his Department has spent on the advertisement of tenders for Government contracts since 1997.

Phil Woolas: The Home Department awards contracts in competition according to the EU Procurement Directives based on value for money. Use is made of criteria linked to the subject matter of the contract to determine that an offer is the most economically advantageous tender including quality, price, technical merit, aesthetic and functional characteristics, environmental characteristics, running costs, cost effectiveness, after sales service, technical assistance, delivery date and delivery period and period of completion.
	A search of records since 1997 for expenditure on the advertisement of tenders for contracts would incur disproportionate cost, however, from best available records the Department since 2006 has spent £3,495 excl. VAT on advertising tenders.
	Tenders, subject to EU Procurement Directives thresholds, are advertised at no cost in the Official Journal of the EU. OJEU notices can be created within the Home Office eSourcing Tool (PCT) and submitted directly for publication in the Official Journal of the EU.

Departmental Taxis

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many miles  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have travelled by taxi in the course of their official duties in each year since 1997; and at what cost to the public purse in each such year.

Phil Woolas: As we do not waste taxpayers money on pointless bureaucracy, information relating to how many miles  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in the Home Office have travelled by taxi in the course of their official duties in each year since 1997 is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Deportation: Security

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated cost of security guard escorts for forced removals and deportations from the UK  (a) was in each year from 2006-07 to 2008-09 and  (b) is in 2009-10; and what proportion of those costs are attributable to outsourced or agency staff in each of those years.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency has contracts with private suppliers to escort individuals removed from the United Kingdom. The value of contracts is commercially sensitive due to ongoing procurement activity and cannot therefore be disclosed.
	The value of contracts to escort individuals removed from the United Kingdom in 2006-07 and 2007-08 was:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2007-08 10.43 
			 2006-07 9.15

Entry Clearances

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) postal and  (b) premium applications for further leave to remain have been made under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system since 5 October 2009; and how much revenue has accrued from fees for applications of each type since that date.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 25 November 2009
	 The number of postal applications made for further leave to remain under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system during the period 5 October 2009 to 22 November 2009 is 36,251. The value of these applications is £12,939,465.
	The number of premium applications for further leave to remain made under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system during the period 5 Oct 2009 to 22 November 2009 is 3,369. The value of these applications is £1,903,485.
	The amount of revenue earned from fees from caseworking activities in respect of postal applications for further leave to remain made under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system during the period 5 October 2009 to 22 November 2009 is £5,829,453.
	The amount of revenue earned from caseworking activities in respect of fees for premium applications for further leave to remain made under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system during the period 5 October 2009 to 22 November 2009 is £1,962,245.
	This information is derived from internal management information systems. All figures from this source are provisional and subject to audit and amendment.

Foreign Workers: Health Services

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which 20 non-EU nationalities received the most work permits for  (a) doctors and  (b) nurses in the last (i) 12 months and (ii) four quarters.

Phil Woolas: The work permit scheme closed on 26 November 2008 and was replaced by the points based system. The following table shows the number of work permits which were approved for applications from nurses and doctors from the top 20 countries, in the 12 months prior to the closure of the scheme.
	
		
			  Work permit approvals 
			2008  
			  Top  20  countries   January to December  April to June  July to September  October to December  Total 
			 India Doctor 45 55 100 50 250 
			  Nurse 855 960 915 660 3,390 
			 Philippines Doctor 0 (1)- 5 (1)- 5 
			  Nurse 320 315 450 220 1,305 
			 Zimbabwe Doctor 0 5 5 (1)- 10 
			  Nurse 315 265 345 250 1,175 
			 South Africa Doctor 35 55 55 25 170 
			  Nurse 105 130 105 70 410 
			 Nigeria Doctor 5 5 15 5 35 
			  Nurse 95 125 160 110 490 
			 Pakistan Doctor 25 20 45 15 105 
			  Nurse 55 50 60 35 200 
			 Ghana Doctor 5 5 5 (1)- 15 
			  Nurse 45 45 65 65 220 
			 China, Peoples Republic Doctor 20 15 50 35 120 
			  Nurse 25 25 30 20 100 
			 Australia Doctor 15 15 15 15 60 
			  Nurse 25 45 40 25 140 
			 Nepal Doctor 0 0 (1)- 0 (1)- 
			  Nurse 60 55 60 20 195 
			 Mauritius Doctor 0 0 (1)- 0 (1)- 
			  Nurse 35 35 50 35 150 
			 Sri Lanka Doctor 10 15 45 20 90 
			  Nurse 10 10 15 10 45 
			 Zambia Doctor 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Nurse 25 35 45 25 130 
			 Kenya Doctor 0 0 (1)- (1)- 5 
			  Nurse 25 35 30 25 115 
			 Jamaica Doctor 0 (1)- 0 (1)- 5 
			  Nurse 20 25 30 25 95 
			 Egypt Doctor 10 10 30 20 75 
			  Nurse 0 0 (1)- 0 (1)- 
			 Trinidad and Tobago Doctor (1)- 5 5 5 15 
			  Nurse 15 15 25 10 60 
			 New Zealand Doctor (1)- (1)- 5 5 10 
			  Nurse 15 15 15 15 60 
			 Guyana Doctor 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Nurse 15 10 30 20 70 
			 Romania Doctor (1)- 5 20 5 35 
			  Nurse (1)- 10 5 5 25 
			 Total  2,395 2,625 3,130 2,015 10,170 
			 (1) Indicates 1 or 2.   Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to nearest 5.  2. Because of rounding, figures may not add up to totals shown.  3. The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.   Caveats: The figures do not equate to the number of individual nationals who were granted permits because they include those applications approved to extend or amend an existing permit or where the individual has moved to another job with a different employer. Not all those who were granted a permit took up the job and some may have been refused entry clearance or further leave to remain.

Immigration Controls

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the UK Border Agency does not accept premium bonds as relevant for assessment of the cash maintenance requirement for the points-based immigration system; and what other Government funds are treated in the same way.

Phil Woolas: The published policy guidance for each tier of the points based system makes clear that evidence to meet the maintenance requirement must be in the form of cash funds in a bank (including savings accounts and financial or government sponsorship.
	Evidence in the form of shares, bonds, pension funds etc, regardless of notice period, is not acceptable because the value of these may change and do not show that a migrant can meet the level of funding required in order to support themselves.

Immigration Controls: France

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many shifts have been worked by UK Border Agency staff on duties in Calais and Pas-de-Calais in 2009; and how much has been paid in shift allowances for carrying out such duties.

Phil Woolas: From 1 January to 31 October 2009, a total of 99,690(1) shifts were carried out by UK Border Agency staff in Calais, Coquelles, Dunkerque and Boulogne.
	In addition to basic salary costs, shift allowance costs of £1,378,521(1) were incurred.
	(1 )These figures have been sourced from locally collated management information held within locally accessed computer systems and do not represent national statistics. They have not been the subject of National Statistics protocols and verification and should therefore be treated as provisional and subject to change.

National DNA Database

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) men and  (b) women resident in each local authority area in the South East have their profile stored on the National DNA Database.

Alan Campbell: Information held on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) is available on the basis of the police force which added the DNA profile, not the address of the person sampled. Information is therefore not available on the number of men and women residing in each local authority area in the South East who have had a DNA profile added to the NDNAD. However, information is available on the number of profiles added by police forces.
	The following table shows the number of subject profiles for men and women held on the NDNAD by police forces in London and the South East as at 23 November 2009. The figures have been separated into males currently aged under 18 and aged 18 and over, and females currently aged under 18 and aged 18 and over. The police forces have been grouped by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) region and a total figure has been given for each region.
	Profiles held by any one police force includes people who have been sampled by that police force but are not resident within the police force area, and will exclude people who are resident in that police force area but have had their sample taken by another police force.
	The number of profiles is not the same as the number of individuals. This is because a number of subject profiles on the NDNAD are replicates, i.e. a profile for a person has been loaded to the NDNAD on more than one occasion. This may arise for a number of reasons, for example, a person giving a different name on different occasions they are arrested, or because of upgrading of profiles from the SGM to the SGM Plus profiling system. It is estimated that 13.8 per cent. of the subject profiles held on the entire NDNAD are replicates. However, this rate may vary between police forces, so figures for the number of individuals are not given for particular police forces.
	The data presented are based on a snapshot of the NDNAD as at 23 November 2009. The data are management information and have not been formally assessed for compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.
	
		
			  Number of DNA profiles held on the NDNAD for each named police force, as at 23 November 2009 
			Profiles retained 
			   Gender  Under 18  18 and over  All  a ges( 1) 
			  London Force 
			 City of London Police Female 31 3305 3,336 
			  Male 130 22,143 22,275 
			  Unassigned gender 0 27 27 
			  
			 Metropolitan Police Female 10,108 165,179 175,302 
			  Male 28,239 745,032 773,342 
			  Unassigned gender 67 2,483 2,554 
			 Total  38,575 938,169 976,836 
			  
			  South East Force 
			 Hampshire Female 3,557 33,435 36,992 
			  Male 6,935 125,447 132,386 
			  Unassigned gender 6 241 247 
			  
			 Kent Female 3,475 32,578 36,054 
			  Male 6,960 119,739 126,705 
			  Unassigned gender 20 2,016 2,036 
			  
			 Surrey Female 1,171 13,459 14,642 
			  Male 2,511 52,575 55,128 
			  Unassigned gender 1 142 143 
			  
			 Sussex Female 2,631 27,242 29,874 
			  Male 4,777 95,123 99,902 
			  Unassigned gender 3 51 54 
			  
			 Thames Valley Female 3,483 33,355 36,845 
			  Male 7,166 134,576 141,795 
			  Unassigned gender 43 735 778 
			 Total  42,739 670,714 713,581 
			 (1) Figures for 'All Ages' include profiles where age is not recorded i.e. 'unknown age'.  Source: National DNA Database, NPIA, as at 23 November 2009

UK Border Agency: Serco

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what functions SERCO is required to undertake in the UK Border Agency's Case Resolution Directorate as part of its contract; what the length of the contract is; and what performance targets apply to it.

Phil Woolas: Temporary staff are being employed to carry out administrative tasks, freeing up existing, trained, case resolution directorate (CRD) staff so they can concentrate on decision making. CRD have outsourced the administrative functions only and have therefore allowed their permanent experienced staff to focus on decision making. SERCO is required to recruit and maintain sufficient staff to complete this function and have challenging targets for quality and throughput that align to bring the SERCO element of work to conclusion before the contracted end date.
	The current contract with SERCO runs until autumn 2010, although this may be subject to review. The date of the termination of the contract with SERCO does not necessarily indicate that CRD will have concluded all the cases in the backlog within this same time frame.

Armed Forces

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of serving military personnel of each sex in  (a) the Army,  (b) the Royal Navy and  (c) the Royal Air Force have changed personal status category in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of serving military personnel in  (a) the Army,  (b) the Royal Navy and  (c) the Royal Air Force there were in each personal status category in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: Personal marital status is recorded in order to determine entitlement to allowances and service families accommodation. These Personal Status Categories (PStat Cat) are:
	PStat Cat 1-A legally married member of the services or a member of the services who has registered a civil partnership.
	PStat Cat 2-A member of the services who has parental responsibility in terms of the Children Act for a child(ren).
	PStat Cat 3-A member of the services not in PStat Cat 1 or 2 and provides financial support to their former spouse/partner by way of a voluntary agreement.
	PStat Cat 4-A member of the services not in PStat Cat 1 or 2 and provides financial support to their former spouse/partner by way of a court order.
	PStat Cat 5-All other members of the services.
	Joint Personnel Administration has for the first time allowed service personnel to take responsibility for their own administration. All service personnel are encouraged to notify the service authorities on a change of personal circumstances that may require a change in PStat Cat. As a result the data provided in the following tables is derived from declarations that have been made by Service Personnel.
	
		
			  UK regular service personnel in each PStat Cat as at 1 October 2009 
			   Royal Navy  Army  Royal Air Force 
			  Personal status category  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 1 15,020 39.0 42,780 39.1 21,170 48.1 
			 2 310 0.8 1,090 1.0 700 1.6 
			 3 1,260 3.3 3,840 3.5 1,490 3.4 
			 4 120 0.3 330 0.3 80 0.2 
			 5 21,690 56.4 60,780 55.8 20,490 46.6 
			 No category recorded 50 0.1 90 0.1 10 0.0 
		
	
	
		
			  UK regular service personnel in each PStat Cat as at 1 October 2008 
			   Royal Navy  Army  Royal Air Force 
			  Personal status category  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 1 15,270 40.0 42,160 40.2 21,530 50.1 
			 2 280 0.7 990 0.9 700 1.6 
			 3 1,260 3.3 3,580 3.4 1,530 3.6 
			 4 120 0.3 360 0.3 80 0.2 
			 5 21,170 55.4 57,580 54.9 19,150 44.5 
			 No category recorded 80 0.2 290 0.3 30 0.0 
		
	
	
		
			  UK regular service personnel in each PStat Cat as at 1 October 2007 
			   Royal Navy  Army  Royal Air Force 
			  Personal status category  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 1 15,780 40.8 43,100 40.8 22,720 51.5 
			 2 270 0.7 970 0.9 680 1.5 
			 3 1,320 3.4 3,620 3.4 1,570 3.6 
			 4 120 0.3 390 0.4 90 0.2 
			 5 20,920 54.3 57,580 54.4 18,750 42.5 
			 No category recorded 140 0.4 220 0.2 260 0.6 
		
	
	The following tables show the numbers of UK Regular Service Personnel who are recorded as having a different PStat Cat at the end of the reporting period compared to the start. Any changes between these dates that involve a change from one PSat Cat to another and then reversion back to the former, for example PCat Stat 1 to 3 and then back to 1, is not included.
	
		
			  Period: 1 October 2008 to 30 September 2009 
			   Male  Female  Total 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Royal Navy 1,540 4.9 230 7.4 1,770 5.0 
			 Army 6,400 6.9 900 12.0 7,300 7.3 
			 Royal Air Force 2,180 6.3 560 10.6 2,740 6.9 
		
	
	
		
			  Period: 1 October 2007 to 30 September 2008 
			   Male  Female  Total 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Royal Navy 1,300 4.1 210 6.3 1,500 4.3 
			 Army 5,450 6.0 750 10.2 6,200 6.3 
			 Royal Air Force 1,700 4.9 400 7.6 2,100 5.2 
		
	
	Prior to the introduction of JPA, Personal Status (Marital) Category was not recorded in the same way. Data relating to the marital status, and changes to that status, of service personnel prior to the phased implementation was stored on legacy systems. This information would require a manual search of records and therefore could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Theft

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what sentences were given to servicemen found guilty of theft of armed forces equipment in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many members of the armed forces were convicted of stealing Ministry of Defence equipment in each of the last five years; and what sentences have been handed down in respect of such convictions in each year.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer s 24 and 30 November 2009
	Information from the three services' and Ministry of Defence police's databases for thefts of Ministry of Defence equipment is provided in the following list. Each line reflects one offence and its corresponding punishment.
	The information provided pertains solely to thefts of MOD equipment and does not include those cases where the item stolen was not identified.
	Information in the years before 2004 is not comprehensive as records relating to the RAF personnel could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	 1999: 15 guilty/proven verdicts
	Police Caution
	Fined £100
	Dismissal and 60 days detention
	Fined £1,200
	Fined £250
	112 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £1,500
	Dismissal and eight months and 26 days detention
	Dismissal and pay suspended to the amount of £239.07
	Fined £500
	Reduced in rank
	140 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £212.17
	14 days Restriction of privileges
	Dismissal and reduced in rank
	82 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £32.61
	14 days restriction of privileges
	 2000: 11 guilty charges
	12 months probation and 100 hours community service, £55 costs and disqualified from driving for 12 months
	Fined £400 and internal disciplinary action taken
	60 hours community rehabilitation over 18 months and £250 costs
	Dismissal and 165 days detention, pay suspended to the amount of £1,075 and reduced in rank
	Fined £160
	112 days detention
	140 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £1500
	Nine months detention and £1,000 compensation
	112 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £383.94
	Dismissal
	Six months and 24 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £140
	 2001: 17 guilty charges
	Six months imprisonment
	59 days detention and reduced in rank
	28 days detention
	Fined £750
	Fined £600
	Fined £350
	Severe reprimand-mitigated by the Appropriate Review Authority to admonishment
	Dismissal and 135 days detention
	Seven months detention and pay suspended to the amount of £1,427.17
	Six months detention
	Dismissal and six months detention
	Fined £500
	Fined £500
	Dismissal, 165 days detention and reduced in rank
	Dismissal
	82 days detention and reduced in rank
	Reduced in rank and pay suspended to the amount of £2,000
	 2002: 15 guilty/proven verdicts
	Fined £1,050 and pay suspended to the amount of £12.66
	14 days extra work and drills
	140 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £1,250
	112 days detention
	Six months detention
	180 days detention
	42 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £106.50
	Fined £1,000, severe reprimand, and pays suspended to the amount of £6,043.08
	Fined £500
	112 days detention
	Fined £1,000 and pay suspended to the amount of £1,000
	Fined £500
	Reduced in rank
	Dismissal, 122 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £100
	Fined £650
	 2003: 22 guilty/proven verdicts
	Dismissal and 42 days detention and pay suspended for 318 days
	Fined £300
	Dismissal and 80 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £158.15
	Dismissal and three months detention
	Dismissal and 66 days detention
	Six months forfeiture of seniority and reprimand
	Admonished
	Fined £50 and pay suspended to the amount of £200
	Fined £750
	Admonished
	Pay suspended to the amount of £2,830.08
	Dismissal and two years detention and reduced in rank
	56 days detention
	112 days detention
	Fined £450
	Fined £750
	28 days detention
	42 days detention
	Reduced in rank
	Fined £650
	Fined £650
	Reduced in rank
	 2004: 13 guilty/proven verdicts
	Fine of £1,200
	28 days detention and paid stopped to the amount of £373.22
	Reduced in rank
	Fined £500
	28 days detention and reduced in rank
	26 days detention and reduced in rank
	140 days detention
	Reduced in rank and fined £4,000
	28 days detention and compensation of £3,000 paid
	Fined £250
	Dismissal
	Police caution
	Police caution
	 2005: 15 guilty/proven verdicts
	Dismissal and six months detention
	Dismissal and 84 days detention
	11 months detention and reduced in rank
	Dismissal, one year detention suspended and reduced in rank
	Dismissal, imprisoned six months and reduced in rank
	Fine £300
	42 days detention
	28 days detention
	Pay suspended to the amount of £1,000
	84 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £160
	Dismissal and three months detention
	Police caution
	Seven years and six months imprisonment
	12 months community order, 80 hours community service and £1,105.52 paid in compensation.
	Fined £400
	 2006: 32 guilty/proven verdicts
	56 days detention
	Dismissal, imprisoned five years and 252 days and reduced in rank
	112 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £500
	Pay suspended to the amount of £1,200
	Dismissal and imprisoned for four years and 339 days
	Dismissal and six months detention
	84 days detention
	Reduced in rank
	Reduced in rank
	Reduced in rank
	Reduced in rank
	Dismissal
	Dismissal and 18 months detention
	112 days detention
	Dismissal and five years and four months imprisonment
	Dismissal and five years and eight months imprisonment and reduced in rank
	Dismissal and five years imprisonment
	Fined £1,500
	Six months detention, suspended for one year and reduced in rank
	Fined £300
	Fined £1,000, pay suspended to the amount of £1,500
	Dismissal, eight years imprisonment and reduced in rank
	Fined £1,000
	Dismissal
	Fined £504, five days extra work and pay stopped for 30 days
	120 days detention
	56 days detention
	Police caution
	Final warning
	12 months imprisonment
	Fined £490
	Fined £650
	 2007: 33 guilty/proven verdicts
	Fined £500
	Reduced in rank
	Fined £400
	Admonished
	Dismissal, 11 months and one day detention and reduced in rank
	Admonished
	Dismissal and Imprisoned for seven years and five months
	Six months detention
	88 days detention and reduced in rank
	88 days detention
	Fined £3,000 and reduced in rank
	Fined £650
	Fined £1,000 and pay suspended to the amount of £650
	Dismissal and 18 months detention
	Dismissal and nine years and 174 days imprisonment
	Dismissal and nine years and 263 days imprisonment
	Fined £1,800 and reduced in rank
	One day detention
	Dismissal and 30 days detention
	150 days detention and pay topped to the amount of £424
	Dismissal, 90 days detention and reduced in rank
	105 days detention and fined £2,000
	Dismissal and 140 days detention
	Reprimand, fined £250 and pay suspended to the amount of £639.29
	Fined £563 and 14 days extra work
	Fined £100
	42 days detention
	42 days detention
	Dismissal and six months detention
	150 days detention
	Three years and six months imprisonment
	Three years and six months imprisonment
	Two years and six months imprisonment
	 2008: 32 guilty/proven verdicts
	Dismissal, fined £1,000 and pay suspended to the amount of £41.51
	Admonished
	120 days detention and reduced in rank
	60 days detention
	Dismissal, 12 months detention and reduced in rank
	Fined £75
	Reduced in rank and pay suspended to the amount of £62.21
	Reduced in rank and pay suspended to the amounts of £575.70 and £93.99
	Dismissal and seven months and 16 days detention
	120 days detention, suspended for one year and reduced in rank
	Dismissal, 150 days dismissal and reduced in rank
	90 days detention and reduced in rank
	28 days detention and compensation of £750 paid
	Dismissal, 15 years imprisonment and reduced in rank
	Fined £750
	Dismissal and 109 days detention
	Dismissal and five years and six months imprisonment
	Nine months detention
	Six months detention and reduced in rank
	Police caution
	Police caution
	Police caution
	Police caution
	Police caution
	12 months imprisonment
	12 months imprisonment
	16 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months
	200 hours community order
	Fined £500, £400 costs and £15 victim surcharge
	52 weeks imprisonment suspended for two years, 250 hours unpaid work within 12 months
	26 weeks imprisonment suspended for two years, 250 hours unpaid work within 12 months
	12 weeks imprisonment suspended over two years, 250 hours community service and £1,000 costs

Departmental Consultants

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many external consultants work for his Department.

Kevan Jones: Specific data on the number of consultants employed by the Ministry of Defence is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	MOD expenditure on external assistance, which includes management and other types of consultancy, has been reported to Parliament since 1995-96. Summaries are available in the Library of the House.
	Furthermore, information on organisations, including consultancy firms, paid £5 million or more by the MOD in each financial year is published in the UK Defence Statistics. Copies are placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Information Officers

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in his Department in 2008-09.

Bob Ainsworth: 35 press officers are currently employed by the central MOD media and communications unit and the Regional Defence Press Officer Network. From 1 January to 23 November 2009 they were reimbursed a total of £40,321 for travel and subsistence costs incurred in the conduct of official duty, mainly providing media support to service personnel, officials, chiefs and Ministers.
	Costs are principally incurred in terms of vehicle fuel, public transport, car hire, and subsistence (accommodation and meals, including that required while training for deployment overseas) while on duty away from the workplace in the UK and overseas. The majority of the costs (£24,158) were incurred by the eight regional Defence press officers whose work routinely requires them to travel across the length and breadth of the UK.
	Currently, there are 110 press officers employed across the Ministry of Defence (as recorded in the Central Office of Information's White Book). 35 work within the MOD's main press office and the remaining 75 (those other civilian and military staff with a clear media and communications role) are principally distributed in support of the armed forces' frontline commands, in overseas headquarters such as in Germany and Cyprus, and in the permanent joint headquarters in support of current operations. Figures for the remaining 75 and for those who have left the Department during this period are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ex-servicemen

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent meetings he has had with groups representing armed forces veterans.

Bob Ainsworth: I regularly meet with veterans and groups representing them, most recently on 7 and 8 November 2009 during Remembrance weekend.
	I also met with veterans and groups representing them on 25 October 2009 at Westminster Abbey; at the Parliamentary Reception for Veterans and Cadets from Enfield North on 3 March 2009; and with veterans from the Leyland, Lancashire and Warrington constituencies on 17 July 2009.
	My hon. Friend the Minister for Veterans, Kevan Jones, also regularly meets with veterans and groups representing them.

Supply Estimates

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons £100 million has been transferred from Capital Resource to Direct Resource within RfR 1 in his Department's Winter Supplementary Estimates.

Bob Ainsworth: The Departmental Plan assumed a total transfer of £700 million from SUME Capital to Direct Resource. However, in the 2009-10 Main Estimate we deemed that it would be prudent to switch only £600 million until the departmental forecast had sufficiently matured in year. Our 2009-10 Main Estimates Memoranda (paragraph 3.1) pointed out that a further transfer from SUME Capital to Direct Resource might be made in the Supplementary round. The resource transfer has been allocated to the Defence Equipment and Support TLB.

Children: Carers

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in how many households in Norwich North constituency a child under the age of 18 years fulfils the role of a carer for a disabled parent.

Dawn Primarolo: Precise local and national data on the number of children under the age of 18 years caring for a disabled parent is not collected centrally.

Children: Grants

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the objectives of the Home Access grant for children are; what the  (a) average and  (b) maximum amount disbursed to each student will be; how many students he expects to receive the grant in each year of its operation; what may be purchased with monies from the grant; what the unit cost of each model of laptop from the chosen suppliers is; and whether the home access package will include free broadband.

Diana Johnson: Objectives of the home access grant: the home access programme will support those low-income families that need Government intervention to obtain a computer and connectivity as well as benefit parents and learners; it will do this through three targeted approaches:
	a. reducing the barriers of cost for families with low incomes
	b. maximising the benefits of home access for families who are eligible for a grant
	c. increasing the perceived value of home access by parents who are eligible for a grant.
	Specifically, the home access grant will provide financial assistance to address the first of these. In the national roll-out of the programme there will be one grant per household.
	The average amount  (a) disbursed to each family through the grant is forecast to be around £500, with the maximum amount  (b) (excluding assistive technology add-ons) being £528 for the full package. Where a full package is not required, the grants will be for £400 for the device with on board software and support only; or £180 for one year's broadband internet connectivity only.
	270,000 families are expected to benefit by March 2011, which equates to over 500,000 students in these eligible households. This breaks down to around 30,000 students in calendar year 2009, including the pilot, and the remaining 470,000 in 2010.
	The monies from the grant will enable parents to purchase a choice of equipment using one of six approved suppliers. All packages can include broadband connectivity if this is needed.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what efficiency savings projects his Department put in place under the Operational Efficiency Programme; on what date each such project was initiated; how much each such project was expected to contribute to departmental savings; how much had been saved through each such project on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: The Department has already been very actively involved in working towards savings in these areas.
	One project put in place since the announcement is the Total Place initiative. This is exploring ways of securing better services through "whole area" efficiencies. 13 pilot projects are operating linked to particular themes and DCSF officials have been supporting workshop and other activity associated with those projects concerned with services to children and young people. The work is ongoing and final recommendations are expected to inform the 2010 Budget.
	Many of the projects announced by the Operational Efficiency programme (OEP) were already built into the CSR07 VfM programme and Department's 2010-11 settlement. For instance, the Better Use of Resources in Schools initiative includes making available a schools financial benchmarking site which enables schools to compare their patterns of expenditure with schools operating in similar circumstances and identify where resources might be reallocated plus free VfM consultancy, tailored to the needs of the school to help them identify where savings can be made on, for example, collaborative procurement.
	Additional OEP projects are still in their early stages of development and because of the nature of OEP in changing the structure and strategy of delivery, have longer time frames for delivery; many of the projects in question will come to fruition within the next spending review.
	Achievement towards the DCSF £5.14 billion target, including elements relating to OEP, will be reported when data are available over the coming years in both the autumn performance reports and the departmental annual reports each year.

Educational Attainment: Children in Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many children in care sat A level examinations, excluding equivalents, in the latest year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many pupils who were children in care obtained five GCSEs at grades A* to C in the last three years.

Iain Wright: The Department does not collect information on A-level examination attempts and achievements for looked-after children.
	Figures showing the attempts and achievements of children who have been looked after continuously for 12 months at GCSE level in the last three years can be found in table C of the Statistical First Release "Outcome Indicators for Children Looked After, Twelve months to 30 September 2008 - England". This is available at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000842/index.shtml
	The collection for the year ending 30 September 2009 will be the final year that the OC2 return will be used to collect this data. From next year, a new data source using data matched from the children looked after database (collected via the SSDA903 return) and the national pupil database will be used. A 'Bridging Series' publication outlining the move to this new data source will be published at 9.30 on 25 November at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/STR/d000894/index.shtml

Developing Countries: Education

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to tackle barriers to education faced by adolescent girls in developing countries, with particular reference to parental expenditure on education for female children and prioritisation of education over early marriage.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to achieving the education millennium development goals of universal primary education and gender parity in education by 2015 and is spending at least £8.5 billion over the period 2006-15 in support of education in poor and developing countries. DFID regards supporting girls' education as a priority.
	DFID's Strategy for Girls' Education published in 2005 highlighted that costs of education was a major barrier for the attendance of girls from the poorest families and we are taking steps to address this barrier. For example, in Yemen, DFID has committed £20 million to a multi-donor Secondary Education and Girls Access Programme (DEDGAP) which includes a number of measures such as stipends to increase the participation of girls in secondary schools. In Nigeria, DFID funds UNICEF to implement the Girls Education Project in selected Northern Nigerian states. This project has already increased girls' enrolment by 15 per cent. and includes advocacy and community mobilisation initiatives which are vital to tackle the wider social and cultural causes of girls' lack of progression through schooling, such as early marriage.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to combat the spread of HIV-TB co-infection in developing countries.

Michael Foster: "Achieving Universal Access", the UK's strategy for halting and reversing the spread of HIV in the developing world, published in June 2008, acknowledges the need for stronger integration between HIV and TB services. It recognises that investment in well functioning, comprehensive, sustainable and robust health systems and services is the way to address the interaction between HIV and other diseases. The strategy included a commitment to spend £6 billion to strengthen health systems and services including:
	"to improve rates of TB diagnosis among people living with AIDS-and HIV diagnosis among people with TB".
	In addition the UK Government have made:
	a long term commitment of £1 billion (2007 to 2015) to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which also works to promote the linkages and interaction between AIDS, TB and malaria.
	a 20-year, £790 million commitment, subject to performance, to the international drugs purchase facility UNITAID (2006 to 2026), which is helping to increase access to and affordability of HIV and TB drugs and diagnostics.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) is also working with international partners to support countries to reach health worker targets. This will help build the capacity of health systems to manage HIV and TB co-infection issues.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to increase levels of access to antiretroviral treatments in developing countries.

Michael Foster: Since Gleneagles in 2005, the UK has led the push for Universal Access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support and has committed to spend £6 billion on health systems and services up to 2015. The Department for International Development (DFID) is also committed to working with others to reduce drug prices and increase access to more affordable and sustainable treatment over the long term. This could yield cost efficiency savings of at least £50 million per annum, enough to fund medicines for an additional 1 million people every year.
	In 2007 DFID made an unprecedented long term commitment of up to £1 billion to 2015 to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS TB and Malaria (GFATM), one of the key providers of AIDS drugs. We are also contributing £790 million over 20 years, subject to performance, to UNITAID, the International Drug Purchase Facility. UNITAID helps increase access to treatment by lowering the price of quality drugs and diagnostics, and by increasing the pace at which they are made available.
	We continue to lobby our partners to live up to their commitments as well.

Developing Countries: Tuberculosis

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what direct funding his Department is providing for national tuberculosis programmes in high-burden countries; and what timetable for the delivery of such funding has been agreed with each recipient country.

Michael Foster: Our main focus to combat tuberculosis (TB) remains the delivery of the Global Plan to Stop TB 2006 to 2015, which aims to save 14 million lives. The Department for International Development (DFID) contributes to this through a variety of channels including specific bilateral projects, research grants, multilateral and partnerships support, like UNITAID (the international drug purchasing facility) and the Stop TB Partnership, and increasingly through broader health sector plans. The timetable of the delivery of funding differs according to the channels used.
	DFID also committed to a number of national TB programmes in high burden countries including South Africa, Nigeria and Zimbabwe where we support the purchase of TB drugs and other commodities. Our support in India is helping treat 6.3 million patients and has saved over 1 million lives since 1997. In China, DFID works in partnership with the World Bank and World Health Organisation (WHO) to provide a £28 million grant supporting China's National TB Control programme in 16 provinces. DFID has an unprecedented commitment of up to £1 billion to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) for 2008 to 2015. The GFATM estimates that it has supported the additional detection and treatment of 5.4 million people with TB.

Scientists

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on how many occasions he has met  (a) the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and  (b) his Department's Chief Scientific Adviser in the course of his official duties in the last 12 months.

Douglas Alexander: I have not held any meetings with the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser and have met with the Department's Chief Scientific Adviser once in the last 12 months in the course of my official duties.
	The Under-Secretary of State for International Development (Mr. Foster) regularly attends meetings where the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and the Department's Chief Scientific Adviser are also present.

Climate Change

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what agreements were made at the IMF/World Bank annual meeting in Istanbul on energy and climate change-related matters.

Joan Ruddock: There were no specific commitments agreed for which my Department will be responsible. The IMF-World Bank communiqué reiterated support for the World Bank Group's efforts to tackle long-term development challenges, including climate change, in line with its comparative advantage. We welcome the engagement of all international financial institutions in addressing the challenge and opportunity of low carbon climate resilient growth, and encourage them to make their existing investments climate-smart.

Energy Supply

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his latest estimate is of the average annual spending on  (a) gas and  (b) electricity by households in each household income decile.

David Kidney: The latest estimates of average spending on  (a) gas and  (b) electricity come from the 2008 edition of Family Spending, produced by the Office for National Statistics. This gives average weekly spending levels in 2007, which have been converted into annual figures in the following table.
	
		
			  Average annual expenditure 
			  £ 
			  Income decile  Gas  Electricity 
			 Lowest 234 307 
			 2nd 307 348 
			 3rd 317 359 
			 4th 369 380 
			 5th 390 411 
			 6th 400 447 
			 7th 432 478 
			 8th 458 494 
			 9th 504 530 
			 Highest 593 614 
			 Average 400 437

Fuel Poverty

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people  (a) in fuel poverty and  (b) in fuel poverty and in a vulnerable group there were in each region in each year since 2003.

David Kidney: holding answer 2 December 2009
	Fuel poverty is measured at the household level. The number of households in fuel poverty in each region of England are shown in the following table, including a split for vulnerable households. Regional estimates are available for England only. The most recently available fuel poverty statistics relate to 2007.
	
		
			  Fuel poor households 
			  Thousand 
			  Government office region  Total  Vulnerable 
			  North East   
			 2003 95 76 
			 2004 103 81 
			 2005 126 96 
			 2006 179 152 
			 2007 206 170 
			
			  Yorkshire and the Humber   
			 2003 180 140 
			 2004 163 123 
			 2005 169 130 
			 2006 273 215 
			 2007 333 274 
			
			 North West   
			 2003 178 132 
			 2004 190 138 
			 2005 268 215 
			 2006 415 343 
			 2007 472 393 
			
			  East Midlands   
			 2003 112 102 
			 2004 101 79 
			 2005 145 113 
			 2006 236 185 
			 2007 272 209 
			
			  West Midlands   
			 2003 146 108 
			 2004 153 119 
			 2005 197 154 
			 2006 304 238 
			 2007 383 318 
			
			  South West   
			 2003 139 109 
			 2004 134 100 
			 2005 181 144 
			 2006 256 200 
			 2007 259 202 
			
			  East of England   
			 2003 115 95 
			 2004 141 108 
			 2005 155 131 
			 2006 224 196 
			 2007 253 210 
			
			  South East   
			 2003 149 128 
			 2004 133 105 
			 2005 169 125 
			 2006 291 234 
			 2007 333 266 
			  London   
			 2003 108 85 
			 2004 119 98 
			 2005 120 88 
			 2006 254 183 
			 2007 309 218 
			
			  England   
			 2003 1,222 974 
			 2004 1,236 951 
			 2005 1,529 1,194 
			 2006 2,432 1,947 
			 2007 2,819 2,259

Alcoholic Drinks: Children

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to prevent the sale of alcohol to minors.

Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
	The sale of alcohol to children is an offence under section 146 of the Licensing Act 2003 and carries a maximum fine of £5,000. Section 149 states that a person commits an offence if he buys or attempts to buy alcohol on behalf of an individual aged under 18. This offence is also known as proxy purchase and carries a maximum fine of £5,000.
	In order to ensure that police are aware of these offences and the powers they have at their disposal, the Home Office is holding a series of 42 day Alcohol Enforcement Skills Development seminars. The seminars compliment and build on the success of last year's Home Office seminars at which 1,300 licensing professionals received high quality and comprehensive training in the effective use of alcohol-related tools and powers.
	The current round of seminars are being held in the Home Office's priority areas and are focused more directly at operational police officers and those that are involved in the legal issues concerning the Licensing Act 2003 and other alcohol-related enforcement legislation.
	The Policing and Crime Act will bring in the following measures to deal with under-age alcohol issues:
	Change the offence of persistently selling alcohol to children from three strikes within three months, to two strikes within three months.
	Amend the police's power to confiscate alcohol from young people in a public place so that they no longer need to prove that the individual 'intended' to consume the alcohol.
	Extend the police's powers to issue Directions to Leave so that they can be issued to persons aged 10-15.
	Introduce a new offence of persistently possessing alcohol in a public place.
	Young people under 18 can be prosecuted for this offence if they are caught with alcohol in a public place three times within a 12-month period.
	We have also brought in an enabling power for a Mandatory Code of Practice for Alcohol retailers as part of the Policing and Crime Act. This code aims to crack down on irresponsible promotions and practices that fuel alcohol-related disorder and will include a small number of mandatory licensing conditions (up to nine) which could be applicable to all licensed premises.
	To ensure that people aged under 18 are unable to purchase alcohol from legitimate retailers, the Home Office endorses schemes such as Challenge 25. This is a scheme run by retailers themselves, where the basic premise is that all individuals who look as though they are under the age of 25 are asked to prove their age when purchasing any age-restricted products, thereby preventing an offence being committed.
	An alcohol confiscation campaign took place in February 2008 following a pilot in October 2007. 23 out of the 227 basic command units (BCUs) took part in the campaign and the result was that over 3,700 litres of alcohol were confiscated from children under 18 who were found drinking alcohol in public places.
	A larger campaign involving 165 BCUs took place during February 2008 when 21,000 litres of alcohol (70 per cent. beer) was confiscated in over 5,000 separate seizures from individuals and groups of more than 23,000 young people. Activity in both campaigns focused on school holidays and weekends when young people were most likely to be engaged in this activity.
	The Government launched a nationwide crackdown on teenage binge drinking during the summer holidays, with up to £1.4 million of new cash for 69 youth crime priority areas. This is in addition to the £350,000 that each area is receiving this year to tackle antisocial behaviour and youth crime.
	The campaign was based on the following three-point plan:
	Tough enforcement: confiscating alcohol; using dispersal powers to break up groups of young people getting drunk and causing trouble, and behaviour contracts to hold them to account;
	Early intervention and support: giving young people one-to-one support, and youth services working with families to address underlying reasons for young people's behaviour, using parenting contracts and orders to support parents;
	Communicating to the local community: making it clear to the public what is being done to tackle drunk and disorderly behaviour by young people.

Aortic Aneurysm: Screening

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 3 November 2009,  Official Report, column 909W, on aortic aneurysm, 
	(1)  what the precise locations are of the early implementation sites of ultrasound screening facilities for aortic aneurysm at  (a) West Sussex,  (b) Leicester,  (c) Gloucester,  (d) South Manchester,  (e) South Devon and Exeter and  (f) South West London; and how many patients have been screened at each such location to date;
	(2)  for what reasons the number of hospital sites with abdominal aortic aneurysm ultra sound screening facilities has not been increased since the initial six early implementation sites announced in January 2008; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what criteria will apply to the next provision and allocation of ultra sound screening facilities for aortic aneurysms; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Following the ministerial announcement in January 2008, six early implementation sites commenced screening from April 2009 onwards. There are four more programmes scheduled to start screening early in the new year.
	All ultrasound screening is carried out in the community at general practitioner (GP) practices and community hospitals within the early implementation sites geographical location.
	Currently the precise location of each ultrasound screening site is not held centrally. An information technology (IT) screening management system is in development and will roll out in the next week. It is expected that during early 2010 when the IT system is fully operational this information will be available.
	To date the numbers of men screened are:
	
		
			  Screening programme  Numbers screened 
			 West Sussex 1,500 
			 Leicester 6,126 
			 Gloucester 2,500 
			 South Manchester 940 
			 South Devon and Exeter 1,093 
			 South West London 1,179 
		
	
	The NHS Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening programme (NAAASP) is being introduced gradually to make sure it works as effectively as possible. It is important that in the early stages of roll out processes and procedures are assessed and evaluated to ensure that the programme is providing the best possible service.
	In order to be considered as a screening site local hospitals with their primary care trusts are required to submit an application to the NAAASP to show that they can deliver a quality service that meets the standards set out by the national programme.
	Business cases for the next phase of roll out are due for submission at the end of November and following a review, more programmes will be announced in the new year.
	Criteria that has been endorsed by the UK National Screening Committee, the Department's Vascular Board and the NAAASP and developed to ensure that men referred for treatment as a result of screening have the best possible outcomes can be found at:
	http://aaa.screening.nhs.uk/Implementation_Guidance

Aortic Aneurysm: Screening

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of  (a) provision and installation of the technology for ultrasound screening in respect of aortic aneurysms and  (b) staffing at the level required for optimal use of such technology at each location; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: A total of £662,180 was allocated to early implementer sites for the purchase of ultrasound equipment.
	Information about the cost to the public purse of the staffing levels required for optimal use of ultrasound technology is not held centrally.

Capita

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions Capita Group plc tendered for contracts let by his Department in each of the last five years; how many such tenders were successful; how much his Department paid to Capita Group plc for the execution of contracts in each such year; how many contracts which terminate after 2010 Capita Group plc hold with his Department; and what the monetary value is of all outstanding contracts between his Department and Capita Group plc.

Phil Hope: This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Until July 2008, when a new business management system was introduced for the Department, such information was not held centrally.
	However, we have identified two major contracts with Capita Group plc. They are:
	1. Public and Patient Experience and Engagement-this is held with Capita Business Services Ltd. The contract started in March 2009 and will run until March 2012. The contract value is £5.25 million over three years (from the  Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) contract award notice), with the annual value for 2009-10 being forecast at approximately £1.75 million.
	2. NHS Choices Health Information Service-this is held with Capita Business Services Ltd. The contract started in November 2008 and ends in November 2011. The contract value is £60 million (from the OJEU contract award notice) with approximately £26.8 million paid to date.

Chlamydia: West Midlands

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of people of each sex between the ages of 15 and 24 years were screened for Chlamydia in the West Midlands in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Information on screening data from genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics for 2009 is not yet available. The most up to date Chlamydia screening information is provided in the following table.
	Number of Chlamydia tests performed in the last 12 months by the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP), and within laboratories outside of genitourinary medicine clinics (GUM), among those aged 15-24 years in the West Midlands (1 October 2008 to 30 September 2009).
	
		
			   Number of female tests  Number of male tests  Total tests including unknown sex  Female coverage( 1)  (percentage)  Male coverage( 1)  (percentage)  Total coverage( 1)  (percentage) 
			 NCSP tests 60,648 37,081 97,885 17.0 9.9 13.4 
			 Non NCSP laboratory tests outside of GUM 24,185 1,935 26,266 6.8 0.5 3.6 
			 Total tests outside of GUM 84,833 39,016 124,151 23.8 10.4 16.9 
			 (1) 15-24 year old population estimates are based on the mid 2006-ONS population projections for 2009 using the mid 2006 ONS male and female proportions.  Notes: 1. The information from GUM clinics for 2009 is not yet available. 2. NSCP data are presented by primary care trust of residence and are based on vital signs indicator criteria. 3. Tests outside GUM represent the number of tests and not number of people tested. It should be noted that number of tests will be used as a proxy for the number of people tested. 4. Total tests include tests for which sex was recorded as unknown or unspecified. 5. Data presented is based on tests with confirmed positive and negative results only. Tests with equivocal, inhibitory and insufficient results have been excluded as most people with these results are retested.  Source:  NCSP core data and non NCSP non GUM aggregate dataset. Data for the period October 2008 to March 2009 are as of 22 May 2009 and data for the period April 2009 to September 2009 are as of 9 November 2009.

Departmental Contracts

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria his Department uses in determining the award of contracts; and how much his Department has spent on the advertisement of tenders for Government contracts since 1997.

Phil Hope: The Department's 'Guide to Buying Services and Goods' states the need to develop value for money principles thus:
	"Buying goods and services in the public sector is not judged on getting goods or services for the lowest possible price, but on value for money. This includes the quality and other relevant areas of the resulting service or goods. It is a judgement based on the best combination of the cost of a product or service, spread over its whole lifetime, and its ability to meet, but not necessarily do better than the needs of the user. They normally achieve this by comparing suppliers' bids, and by generally testing the market."
	This principle is included within the 'Public Contracts Regulations 2006', which outlines the need to either set the award criteria at the lowest price, or at the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT). The award criteria using MEAT is linked to the subject matter and may include quality, price, technical merits, aesthetic and functional characteristics.
	The Department's procurement policy is to apply this approach to all procurements above £10,000. Procurements at £90,319 or above are subject to the 'Public Contract Regulations 2006' where further information relating to weightings for criteria are applied.
	Using the free electronic portal 'Information System for European Public Procurement', the cost of advertising tenders is kept to a minimum.
	There may however be occasions when, due to the specific nature of a procurement, the Department uses paid-for advertising. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Until July 2008, when a new business management system was introduced for the Department, such information was not held centrally.

Derbyshire County Primary Care Trust: Manpower

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) staff,  (b) doctors other than general practitioners,  (c) medical and dental health services staff other than doctors and nurses,  (d) general practitioners,  (e) qualified nursing staff other than practice nurses and  (f) practice nurses worked in Derbyshire primary care trust in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008 and (iii) 2009.

Ann Keen: Workforce data for 2009 is currently being collected and will not be available until March 2010. However, data for staff working within Derbyshire County primary care trust (PCT), for 2006, 2007 and 2008 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  General practitioners (GPs), Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): medical and dental staff( 1)  and qualified nursing staff working within Derbyshire County PCT, England at 30 September each year 
			  Number (headcount) 
			   2006  2007  2008 
			 All national health service staff 6,989 6,830 7,015 
			  O f which:
			 All doctors(1) 552 554 622 
			 GPs 497 510 544 
			 HCHS: medical and dental staff(1) 55 44 78 
			 
			 Total qualified nursing staff 1,595 1,631 1,671 
			 
			 Nursing staff 1,271 1,280 1,320 
			 GP practice nurses 324 351 351 
			 (1)Excludes medical hospital practitioners and medical clinical assistants, most of whom are GPs working part time in hospitals and have been excluded to avoid double counting. All medical and dental staff are doctors and have been counted as such.   Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Diabetes

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency hospital admissions of  (a) males and  (b) females in each age group in each primary care trust area were recorded for (i) diabetic ketoacidosis and (ii) hypoglycaemia in each of the last five years, broken down by type of diabetes.

Ann Keen: Tables which show emergency hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis or hypoglycaemic coma between 2004-05 and 2008-09 have been placed in the Library. The data are broken down by age, gender, strategic health authority (SHA) and diabetes type.
	The data provided is by SHA of residence, because the figures at primary care trust (PCT) level would be too small to give a meaningful indication of the level of emergency admissions and most would be suppressed for patient confidentiality reasons.
	In July 2006, the national health service reorganised SHAs and PCTs in England. As a result data from 2006-07 onwards is not directly comparable with previous years.

Health Services: Children

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under the age of 16 years have been admitted to hospital owing to ingestion of  (a) alcohol,  (b) nicotine and tobacco,  (c) prescription drugs and  (d) Class (i) A, (ii) B and (iii) C drugs in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: Data on the number of children aged under-16 admitted to hospital due to ingestion of alcohol, nicotine and tobacco or drugs is given in the following table. It should be noted that there are 17,000 hospital admissions per year of children under-five due to their parents smoking and that the system of diagnostic codes used to classify admission to hospital does not distinguish between whether a drug is prescribed or not or classify drugs according to their class. Additionally, it is important to note that the diagnostic codes do not distinguish between recreational, illicit misuse or medical use of drugs. The diagnostic codes used are as listed.
	
		
			  Count of finished admission episodes( 1)  where there is a primary diagnosis( 2)  of 'ingestion of alcohol'( 3) , 'nicotine and tobacco ingestion'( 3)  and 'ingestion of drugs'( 3)  for patients aged 0 to 15 from 2004-05 to 2008-09( 4) 
			   Alcohol  Nicotine and tobacco  Drugs 
			 2008-09 3,681 44 13,303 
			 2007-08 4,740 31 14,893 
			 2006-07 5,086 22 15,210 
			 2005-06 5,246 29 15,916 
			 2004-05 4,967 23 14,609 
			 (1) Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. It should be noted that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. Years are assigned by the end of the first period of care in a patient's hospital stay. (2) Diagnosis Primary diagnosis data has been used to provide figures on ingestion for nicotine and tobacco and drugs. However, primary and secondary diagnosis data has been used to provide a more accurate figure for alcohol admissions. 
			  Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Primary diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital.  Secondary diagnosis As well as the primary diagnosis, there are up to 19 (13 from 2002-03 to 2007-08 and six prior to 2002-03) secondary diagnosis fields in HES that show other diagnoses relevant to the episode of care. (3) ICD-10 Codes The ICD-10 codes used to identify hospital admissions due to ingestion of alcohol, or nicotine and tobacco or drug are listed as follows:  Alcohol Alcoholic cardiomyopathy (142.6) Alcoholic gastritis (K29.2) Alcoholic liver disease (K70) Alcoholic myopathy (G72.1) Alcoholic polyneuropathy (G62.1) Alcohol-induced pseudo-Cushing's syndrome (E24.4) Chronic pancreatitis (alcohol induced) (K86.0) Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol (G31.2) Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol (F10) Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol (X45) Ethanol poisoning (T51.0) Methanol poisoning (T51.1) Toxic effect of alcohol, unspecified (T51.9)  Nicotine and tobacco F17-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of tobacco T65.2-Toxic effect of tobacco and nicotine  Drugs F10-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol F11-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of opioids F12-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids F13-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of sedatives or hypnotics F14-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cocaine F15-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of other stimulants, including caffeine F16-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of hallucinogens F17-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of tobacco F18-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of volatile solvents F19-Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of multiple drug use and use of other psychoactive substances F55.X Abuse of non-dependence-producing substances The following ICD-10 code categories are for poisoning and toxic effects which are both either self-inflicted, or accidental. They include both prescription and non prescription drugs: T36-Poisoning by systemic antibiotics T37-Poisoning by other systemic anti-infectives and antiparasitics T38-Poisoning by hormones and their synthetic substitutes and antagonists, not elsewhere classified T39-Poisoning by nonopioid analgesics, antipyretics and antirheumatics T40-Poisoning by narcotics and psychodysleptics (hallucinogens) T41-Poisoning by anaesthetics and therapeutic gases T42-Poisoning by antiepileptic, sedative-hypnotic and antiparkinsonism drugs T43-Poisoning by psychotropic drugs, not elsewhere classified T44-Poisoning by drugs primarily affecting the autonomic nervous system T45-Poisoning by primarily systemic and haematological agents, not elsewhere classified T46-Poisoning by agents primarily affecting the cardiovascular system T47-Poisoning by agents primarily affecting the gastrointestinal system T48-Poisoning by agents primarily acting on smooth and skeletal muscles and the respiratory system T49-Poisoning by topical agents primarily affecting skin and mucous membrane and by ophthalmological, otorhinolaryngological and dental drugs T50-Poisoning by diuretics and other and unspecified drugs, medicaments and biological substances (4) Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  Data quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England. Data is also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.

Hospice in the Weald: Finance

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the operating cost of the Hospice in the Weald was met from public funds in 2008-09; and if he will take steps to increase it.

Phil Hope: It is for individual primary care trusts (PCTs) to decide the level of funding they allocate to end of life care services, including local hospices, based on assessments of local needs and priorities.
	The Department is making £286 million available over the two years to 2011 to support the implementation of the End of Life Care Strategy. Most of this money has been allocated to PCTs. Hospices will be in a prime position to bid for extra funding from the national health service to support the delivery of many of the initiatives recommended in the strategy.

NHS: Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cost to the public purse of the NHS Comms Link was at the latest date for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many registered users of the NHS Comms Link there are;
	(3)  what his most recent estimate is of the average number of people who use the NHS Comms Link each  (a) day and  (b) month;
	(4)  how many registered users of the NHS Comms Link  (a) did not use that system in November 2009 and  (b) have not used that system in 2009 to date;
	(5)  how many administrators of the NHS Comms Link there are.

Mike O'Brien: There are currently 3,658 registered users on NHS Comms Link. The total cost to date for NHS Comms Link is £768,542. The average number of people (unique users, i.e. individuals) who use NHS Comms Link each day is 190. The average number of people (unique users) who use NHS Comms Link each month is 2,055.
	The figures for November 2009 are not yet available. The latest data available show that in October 2009, 1,265 users did not log into their account. The latest data available show that in the period January 2009 to October 2009, 1,189 users did not log into their account. There is one administrator post attached to Comms Link.

Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the administration of BCG vaccinations for children and adolescents in London living in low tuberculosis-incidence areas but attending schools in high incidence areas.

Gillian Merron: The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination programme against tuberculosis (TB) is targeted to protect individuals at highest risk of exposure to TB. BCG vaccine is offered to infants aged 0 to 12 months living in areas where the annual incidence of TB is 40/100,000 or greater. The vaccine is not offered to school-age children according to the location of their school.
	The at risk groups for BCG vaccination are listed in a statement made in 2007 by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) which is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/ab/JCVI/DH_094744
	The JCVI reaffirmed its advice that the current policy is the most effective use of the vaccine in the United Kingdom.
	In April 2009 the London TB Commissioning Board, on behalf of London's primary care trusts, ratified a visioning and commissioning strategy for TB in London with the aims of producing a needs assessment and developing and implementing a world class TB control programme by 2012.

Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will modify his Department's policy in respect of vaccination against tuberculosis to classify all of inner London as high risk.

Gillian Merron: The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination programme against tuberculosis (TB) is targeted to protect individuals at highest risk of exposure to TB. This programme was introduced in 2005 on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI reaffirmed its advice in 2007 that this policy is the most effective use of the vaccine in the United Kingdom.
	There are no current plans to review the BCG vaccination policy.

Capita

Don Touhig: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether any contracts between Capita Group plc and his Department have been cancelled before completion since 1997; and whether Capita Group plc has been liable for any penalties arising from failings in the administration of contracts since 1997;
	(2)  on how many occasions Capita Group plc tendered for contracts let by his Department in each of the last five years; how many such tenders were successful; how much his Department paid to Capita Group plc for the execution of contracts in each such year; how many contracts which terminate after 2010 Capita Group plc hold with his Department; and what the monetary value is of all outstanding contracts between his Department and Capita Group plc.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Details on the total number of tenders submitted by Capita Group plc are not held centrally and would incur disproportionate cost to identify all such tenders.
	The following table shows contracts with Capita Group plc held by HM Treasury since 2005, and the amounts paid for the execution of those contracts:
	
		
			  Contract  Amount paid (£000) 
			  Recruitment Services  
			 2005-06 92.6 
			 2006-07 202.5 
			   
			  Recruitment Services  
			 2007-08 576.0 
			 2008-09 90.0 
			   
			  Training Services  
			 2008-09 9.9 
			   
			  Recruitment Services  
			 2009-10 (1)- 
			   
			  Training Services  
			 2009-10 (1)- 
			 (1) The total amount spent in 2009-10 is not yet available. 
		
	
	The Treasury has no contracts with Capita Group plc that terminate after 2010. No contracts between The Treasury and Capita Group plc have been cancelled before completion and Capita has not been liable for any penalties arising from failings in the administration of contracts since 2005.

Census

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  whether the Information Commissioner was consulted on the preparation of the privacy impact assessment for the 2011 Census;
	(2)  how many staff in full-time equivalent  (a) media and public relations,  (b) marketing and  (c) communications posts in the (i) Cabinet Office, (ii) Office for National Statistics, (iii) UK Statistics Authority and (iv) Central Office of Information have been assigned to work on the 2011 Census;
	(3)  what external  (a) media and public relations,  (b) marketing,  (c) communications and  (d) advertising firms and consultants have been contracted for the purposes of the 2011 Census; and what the monetary value is of such contracts;
	(4)  what the monetary value is of the Office for National Statistics' contract with Elmwood to develop branding for the 2011 census;
	(5)  what the  (a) marketing,  (b) communications and  (c) advertising budget is for the 2011 Census;
	(6)  what final estimate was made of the  (a) error and  (b) non-response rate in respect of the 2001 Census;
	(7)  whether the UK Statistics Authority plans to take steps to discourage campaigns which actively promote giving false or frivolous answers to the 2011 Census;
	(8)  what discussions the  (a) Cabinet Office,  (b) UK Statistics Authority and  (c) Office of National Statistics has had with the Commission for Equality and Human Rights on the inclusion of questions on sexual orientation in the 2011 Census;
	(9)  what representations the  (a) Cabinet Office,  (b) Office for National Statistics and  (c) UK Statistics Authority has received on the classification of Sikhs in the 2001 Census; and if she will make a statement;
	(10)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) guidance issued in the 2001 Census and  (b) draft guidance to be issued in respect of the 2011 Census on the application of the provisions of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act in communications with residents who decline to answer Census questions;
	(11)  what recent discussions she has had at EU level on proposals to harmonise census exercises across the EU;
	(12)  what targets have been set to measure performance in respect of the undertaking of the 2011 Census; and what value for money criteria have been applied in respect of that census.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated December 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent questions regarding the 2011 Census. I have grouped together the responses to those questions where there are common themes.
	(i) The Office of the Information Commissioner was consulted on the preparation of the privacy impact assessment for the 2011 Census. (302264)
	(ii) The numbers of Office for National Statistics staff working full time on the 2011 Census are:
	(a) media and public relations 9
	(b) marketing and publicity 8
	(c) communications 6
	There is no one in the UK Statistics Authority working full time on the 2011 Census.(302265)
	(iii, iv, v) The total budget for communications with the general public (including the marketing and advertising costs) is anticipated to be £16.8 million for the period 2005-2015. This includes all staff and contractor costs. The main contracts are with:
	Bray Leino for advertising (including design and media buying) (£10.1 million);
	Four Communications (£800,000) and Linstock (£553,000) for other marketing services (including pubic relations and market research);
	Elmwood for delivering the branding for the 2011 Census (£139,000);
	Big Mouth for online consultancy (£30,000);
	together with a number of other smaller contracts. (302269, 302131, 302566)
	(vi) (a) In total, adjustments due to errors in the 2001 Census made after publication of the results in September 2002 amounted to 275,000 people-a difference of 0.5 per cent
	(b) The non-response rate in the 2001 Census was estimated to be 6.1 per cent of people. Adjustments for this non-response are included in the published results
	A report of the assessment of the quality of the 2001 Census in England and Wales in terms of coverage, non-response and response error was published in 2005 and laid before Parliament. A copy is available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/methodology.asp
	(302266)
	(vii) The UK Statistics Authority, through its Executive body the Office for National Statistics, plans to undertake both national and local publicity to emphasise the value and importance to the public of the results of the 2011 Census and the legal obligation on the public to provide complete and accurate responses. This publicity will include an active response to any such campaigns. (302267)
	(viii, ix) Representations to the Cabinet Office and the UK Statistics Authority from stakeholders on the inclusion of particular questions in the 2011 Census have all been directed to the Office for National Statistics.
	The Equalities and Human Rights Commission, and the former bodies that have since been incorporated into it, have made representations to ONS proposing the inclusion of a question relating to sexual identity through:
	verbal representations at one of the several Census Advisory Groups set up by ONS to consult regularly with a wide range of stakeholders;
	written submissions in response to the programme of consultation on census topics in 2005;
	in a letter to ONS in 2008; and
	a bilateral meeting with ONS in June 2008
	Neither the Cabinet Office nor the UK Statistics Authority (which was only created in 2008) would have received representations on the classification of Sikhs in the 2001 Census, but ONS took account of representations from a number of organisations in considering the inclusion of Sikh and other tick box categories in the religion question. Such organisations included:
	Church of England
	Inner Cities Religious Council;
	Inter-Faith Network for the United Kingdom
	Council of Churches for Britain and Ireland
	Board of Deputies of British Jews
	Network of Buddhist Organisations
	Network of Sikh Organisations UK
	UK Action Committee on Islamic Affairs
	National Council of Hindu Temples, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe
	The Free Church Federal Council
	Baha'i Community
	(302270, 302284)
	(x) There are no plans to place such guidance in the Library. ONS considers any such guidance to be covered by legal and professional privilege, and that its publication may have a detrimental effect on ONS's public responsibilities and may adversely affect any potential prosecution undertaken in respect of anyone refusing to make a census return. (302271)
	(xi) Representatives of the Office for National Statistics have been fully involved in discussions with Eurostat to agree a core set of information requirements across the EU in terms of the definitions used, question wording, and the content of statistical outputs for the 2011 round of European censuses.
	No proposals have been made to harmonise the way in which such information should be collected. (302272)
	(xii) The provisional targets for the 2011 Census are that the overall response rates should be at least as high as that for the 2001 Census (94 per cent), and that the response rates in the lowest 5 per cent of local authorities in 2001 should be increased to at least 80 per cent. These will be reviewed in the light of the 2009 Census rehearsal and reported in the business case for the Census to be published in spring 2010.
	Value for money has been assessed in terms of the financial impact that, in the absence of a census, errors in population statistics would have on the national decision making process that the census information supports, including resource allocation from central government to local authorities and primary care trusts, and the investment decisions made by commercial companies relating to store location and product ranges.
	The financial benefits realised by the Census significantly outweigh its costs. This is detailed in the Census business case, which has been reviewed by HM Treasury and the Office for Government Commerce.
	A précis of this analysis was made available to the Lords Committee on the Merits of Statutory Instruments when it considered the Draft Census Order in October, and published in its 29th Report of the 2008-09 Session on 5 November 2009, a copy of which is available at
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/Id200809/Idselect/Idmerit/Idmerit.htm
	(302273)

Census

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the results of the Census pilot undertaken in 2007;
	(2)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the communication plan and strategy for the 2011 Census;
	(3)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the business case for the 2011 Census;
	(4)  what timetable has been set for the printing of the household forms for the 2011 Census;
	(5)  how many staff will be hired for the purposes of undertaking door-to-door communications for the 2011 Census;
	(6)  whether contracts let in respect of the 2011 Census include break clauses;
	(7)  assessment has been made of the merits of using existing public sector and commercial datasets to replace the  (a) 2011 Census and  (b) 2021 Census;
	(8)  what estimate was made of the number and proportion of illegal immigrants who completed the 2001 Census; and whether she has made an assessment of the likely effect of the proposed inclusion of new questions on citizenship and intention to remain in the UK on the number of illegal immigrants who complete the 2011 Census;
	(9)  what the response rate was  (a) in absolute numbers,  (b) as a percentage of postal surveys sent and  (c) as a percentage of the resident population in each of the four areas in the 2009 Census rehearsal;
	(10)  for what reasons each question which was included in the 2001 Census and which is not proposed to be included in the 2011 Census has not been included in that Census;
	(11)  what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of questions to be included in the 2011 Census which were not contained in the 2001 Census.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated December 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent questions regarding the 2011 Census. I have grouped together the responses to those questions where there are common themes.
	(i,ii,iii) Information on the evaluation of the 2007 Census test is already available from the ONS website at
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census/2011-census/2011-census-project/2007-test---summary-evaluation-report.doc
	and is thus available to the Library.
	ONS has not published an overarching communications strategy or plan. Instead, many smaller more detailed plans are currently used within the census programme to deal with specific issues.
	However, Chapter 2 of the Government's White Paper Helping to shape tomorrow (Cm 7513), published in December 2008, deals with the programme of consultation at paragraphs 2.1-2.12. Paragraphs 4.45-4.53 in Chapter 4 cover local authority and community liaison, and paragraphs 4.67-4.73 summarise the publicity and marketing work being undertaken.
	The 2011 Census business case, which has already been scrutinised by HM Treasury and the Office for Government Commerce, is still a working document until final decisions on census operational issues have been made following a full analysis of the Census Rehearsal.
	As noted above in answer to Question 302273, the business case is scheduled for publication in the spring 2010 and will be placed in the House of Commons Library at that time. It was made available to the Public Administration Select Committee in June 2009 for its hearing on the Census (but not put into the public domain because of the commercial in confidence information it contains), but a precis was made available to the Lords Committee on the Merits of Statutory Instruments when it considered the draft Census Order in October and published in its 29th Report of the 2008-09 Session on 5 November.(302274, 302294 and 302431)
	(iv) The content and layout of the questionnaires are scheduled to be finalised in mid December 2009 after the Draft Census Order has been approved. Contractors will start the initial printing of the 30 million or more forms in mid-March 2010 and complete this in July. This timetable enables sufficient time for the data capture system, designed on the basis of the printed forms, to be competed and fully tested. (302275)
	(v) Some 35,000 temporary field staff will be employed:
	to deliver the 5 per cent of census questionnaires that will not be delivered via the postal service;
	to visit households to remind then to return their questionnaire and to offer any assistance; and
	to collect questionnaires from communal establishments. (302276)
	(vi) Yes. Every commercial contract agreed in respect of the 2011 Census programme contains break clauses. This is normal public procurement practice. As the majority of contracts are fixed price, ONS would incur financial penalties if these break clauses were invoked for reasons other than poor contractor performance. (302277)
	(vii) In 2003, the Office for National Statistics undertook a strategic review of a number of possible alternative ways of collecting the type of information traditionally provided by a census to meet users' needs. ONS concluded that there were no sufficiently comprehensive or proven alternative sources of such information and that conducting a traditional census in 2011 was the only viable way to collect and provide the range of information required to the level of quality demanded. The findings of the review can be found at
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=10784
	ONS are currently investigating alternative approaches to collecting such information beyond 2011. (302278)
	(viii) No estimate has been made of the number and proportions of illegal immigrants who completed the 2001 Census. The final results were adjusted to take account of the estimated non-response across all population groups.
	Similarly, the 2011 Census will make no attempt to identify specifically people who are living here illegally.
	ONS has assessed the potential impact of inclusion of the citizenship and intended length of stay questions through a postal test including 10,000 households sampled from areas with high number of migrants, and through focus groups and interviews with recent migrants commissioned from the National Centre for Social Research. No impact on response rates was found The results of the research can be found at
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011-census/2011-census-questionnaire-content/recommended-questions---migration.pdf
	(302279)
	(ix) Participation in the Census rehearsal is voluntary, which suppresses response rate considerably. The operation is not yet complete. As at 25 November 2009 response rates were as shown in the table below:
	
		
			  Areas  Number of questionnaire returned  Percentage of questionnaires returned 
			 Lancaster 23,127 39 
			 Newham 7,424 21 
			 Anglesey 14,081 42 
			 Combined total 44,632 35 
			 Birmingham 3,570 21 
		
	
	Birmingham was not formally a part of the rehearsal, but questionnaires were distributed to households in Birmingham in order to test different field operation management structures.
	The numbers of people included in returned questionnaires will not be known until the questionnaires have been processed, which is due for completion in spring 2010. (302280)
	(x) As detailed in the Government's White Paper Helping to shape tomorrow, published in December 2008, the 2001 Census questions on household amenities and professional qualifications are not being included in the 2011 Census.
	The previous long-standing census question on whether or not households have exclusive use of either a bath/shower or toilet amenities, or both, is no longer regarded as providing a sufficiently discriminative indicator in the allocation of resources for housing development and regeneration.
	Nor will the 2001 question on whether people have specific professional qualifications such as teaching, medical, nursing and/or dental qualifications be included. Consultation indicated that sufficient information to meet users' needs could be collected by the inclusion of a single tick-box for 'professional qualifications' to be recorded in the qualifications question.
	In addition, the 2001 questions on lowest floor level of the household's accommodation and the number of people employed at the person's place of work are also not being retained. Consultation with users has indicated that there is less of a requirement for this information compared with other Census topics being proposed. (302282)
	(xi) It is not possible to identify the specific cost of including those questions that are new to the Census in 2011. The cost of adding a fourth page of questions per person to the household questionnaire is £24 million. This does not equate to the direct cost of the new questions, as the previous three pages per person questionnaire on which the comparison is based contained a mix of 2001 and new questions, but it is the best available estimate. (302295)

Census

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what the minimum duration of stay is that will require an individual to register as an overnight guest and disclose name, sex and date of birth in the 2011 Census; whether overnight guests who are children will be required to register; whether guests at a house party will be required to register; and what personal liability householders will have should overnight guests refuse to disclose personal information;
	(2)  whether hotels and bed and breakfast establishments will be required to register their overnight guests and disclose information on name, sex and date of birth for the 2011 Census;
	(3)  how many pages long were the  (a) individual and  (b) household forms in each of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for the (i) 1991 Census and (ii) 2001 Census; and what the estimated page length is for each of those in the 2011 Census based on the (A) Census rehearsal and (B) subsequent planning;
	(4)  what the estimated error rate is for the 2011 Census exercise in relation to the questions on the number of bedrooms; and whether the information on the number of bedrooms will be cross-referenced with any other dataset separate from the 2011 Census;
	(5)  how much and what proportion of the budget for the 2011 Census had  (a) been spent,  (b) been allocated for expenditure and  (b) not been allocated on the latest date for which figures are available;
	(6)  what assessment she has made of the reasons for the difference between the likely cost of the 2011 Census and the cost of the 2001 Census;
	(7)  what the cost to the public purse was of the  (a) 1991 Census and  (b) 2001 Census in (i) cash terms and (ii) real terms in 2009 prices.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	  Letter from Jil Matheson, dated December 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent questions regarding the 2011 Census. I have grouped together the responses to those questions where there are common themes.
	i) What the minimum duration of stay is that will require an individual to register as an overnight guest, including name, sex and date of birth in the 2011 Census; whether overnight guests who are children will be required to register; whether guests at a house party will be required to register; and what personal liability householders will have should overnight guests refuse to disclose personal information. 302427
	ii) Whether hotels and bed and breakfast establishments will be required to register their overnight guests, including information on name, sex and date of birth, for the 2011 Census. 302454
	iii) How many pages long were the (a) individual and (b) household forms in each of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for the (i) 1991 Census and (ii) 2001 Census; and what the estimated page length is for each of those in the 2011 Census based on the (A) Census Rehearsal and (B) subsequent planning. 302428
	iv) What the estimated error rate is for the 2011 Census exercise in relation to the questions on the number of bedrooms; and whether the information on the number of bedrooms will be cross-referenced with any other dataset separate from the 2011 Census. 302429
	v) How much and what proportion of the budget for the 2011 Census had (a) been spent, (b) been allocated for expenditure and (b) not been allocated on the latest date for which figures are available. 302281
	vi) What assessment she has made of the reasons for the difference between the cost of the 2011 Census and the cost of the 2001 Census. 302283
	vii) What the cost to the public purse was of the (a) 1991 Census and (b) 2001 Census in (i) cash terms and (ii) real terms in 2009 prices. 302489
	i,ii)As in all previous censuses (but with the exception of 2001) in addition to recording information for all usual residents at an address on census night, householders are required to record the details of any non-resident persons present on census night, including children and house party guests if they stay overnight. In these previous censuses the same set of information as collected from usual residents has been required from such visitors; for 2011, however, only the limited set of four questions will be asked to reduce the burden.
	The minimum duration of stay that will require an individual to be recorded as a visitor is the night of Sunday 27 March 2011.
	Subject to Parliamentary approval of the secondary legislation for the 2011 Census, the householder is legally liable to ensure that a complete return is made in respect of every resident and visitor present on census night. However, it would be an offence for anyone present in a household on census night to refuse to provide the relevant information to the householder.
	Managers of hotels, bed and breakfast establishments, and guest houses that can only accommodate fewer than ten guests are required to record the visitor information for overnight guests. However, managers of such premises that can accommodate ten or more guests are required only to record the number of any visitors staying overnight. No details of such visitors will be recorded. (302427, 302454)
	iii) The household form for the 2011 Census in England and Wales will comprise four pages of questions relating to the household itself, four pages of questions for each household member with space for up to six household members, and an additional page available to record some information about visitors. The form also contains three pages of notes and instructions to assist the form filler, amounting to 32 pages in total.
	The form is thus the same length as used in the Census Rehearsal, and is 12 pages more than the 2001 form. While the inclusion of some of additional questions has lengthened the form, a more significant factor in its increased size is its redesign in order to:
	accommodate an additional household member so as to reduce the number of continuation forms required for larger households; and
	make it easier to complete, specifically by introducing two columns of questions per page instead of the three adopted in 2001 and an additional page of notes and instructions.
	The 1991 household form comprised 12 pages but was in a completely different matrix format and printed in a smaller font.
	The individual person form for 2011 contains four pages of questions plus three pages of notes and instructions, compared with three and a half pages of questions and half a page of notes in both the 2001 and 1991 Censuses.
	The census is a devolved matter in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but I understand from the respective Registrars General that the intention is that the 2011 Census questionnaires there should be of a similar length, except that, because of the smaller average household size the household form in Scotland will accommodate only five household members.(302428)
	iv) In a postal test including a random sample of 10,000 households in Spring 2009 the question on number of bedrooms was completed by 98.1 per cent of respondents. Testing of the question with individual respondents has not raised any significant quality concerns about their ability or willingness to complete this question accurately.
	Data at the individual household record level will not be disclosed or cross-referenced with any other data sources.
	Statistics from the question on bedrooms will be used by the Department for Communities and Local Government as a measure of overcrowding to support the measurement of one of its strategic objectives "to improve the supply, environmental performance and quality of housing that is more responsive to the needs of individuals, communities and the economy".
	There are two standards previously used to inform whether or not a home is statutorily overcrowded, the 'space standard' and the 'room standard', Government amendments to the 2004 Housing Act provide for the standards to be amended to include a 'bedroom standard'. Its use in helping to measure the number of people living in overcrowded accommodation is set out in the 2007 CLG Action Plan Tackling overcrowding in England, which can be found at
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/Overcrowdinqactionplan
	(302429)
	v,vi,vii) As published in December 2008 in the Government's White Paper Helping to shape tomorrow, the total estimated budget for the 2011 Census is £482 million, of which £450 million has already been agreed, and £32 million is still subject to future spending reviews.
	All of the budget that is already agreed has been allocated, with around 20 per cent already spent and a further 50 per cent committed to fixed price contracts.
	The cost of the 2011 Census has been analysed in the full business case referred to above. The difference between this and the cost of the 2001 Census is mainly due to:
	inflation
	growth in population and the number of households
	the development of a comprehensive national address register
	the development of a questionnaire tracking system
	the inclusion of an additional page of questions per person
	the development of an online questionnaire completion system
	more intensive follow-up in areas with low initial response
	The total costs of the 1991 and 2001 Censuses were £117 million and £207 million respectively. To create costs for the 1991 and 2001 Censuses that are comparable to the 2011 Census it is necessary to take into account:
	the growth in the population
	general inflation
	wage inflation for field staff salary costs
	Taking these factors into account, equivalent comparators to the 2011 Census cost of £482m are estimated to be £305m for the 1991 Census and £350m for the 2001 Census. (302281, 302283, 302489)

Central Office of Information: Expenditure

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for what reasons the Central Office of Information's expenditure increased by £163 million in 2008-09 compared with 2007-08.

Dawn Butler: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in the Library.

Departmental Marketing

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much has been spent on communications, marketing, advertising and public relations in relation to the Real Help Now campaign to date.

Dawn Butler: Real Help Now is a cross-Government campaign that brings together information about the range of support available during the economic downturn and makes it easier for people and businesses to access that support.
	Cabinet Office has spent £105,704 excluding VAT on communications activities for the campaign.

Departmental Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what payments  (a) her Department and  (b) the Office of Public Sector Information has made to Detica in the last 36 months; and for what purposes.

Dawn Butler: The Cabinet Office financial systems show that the following payments have been made to Detica Ltd. in each of the last three financial years:
	
		
			   £ 
			  Financial year  Expenditure 
			 2006-07 571,725 
			 2007-08 884,722 
			 2008-09 354,463 
		
	
	The expenditure related to the provision of IT and Telecommunications software, hardware and related consultancy services.
	The Office of Public Sector Information is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Justice.

Broadband

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the affordability of broadband of the proposed levy on fixed telephone lines.

Stephen Timms: The Government believe that application of the levy will have no significant effect on the affordability of broadband. Ofcom figures show that the average bill has fallen by more than 50p per month in each of the last three years. The average bill is now £7 per month cheaper than in 2005, and £3.81 cheaper per month than 2008.
	The Government recognise that those on the lowest incomes might have difficulty paying the fixed line levy and that is why we have confirmed that those on social telephony schemes will be exempt. The social telephony schemes are available to those on income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, employment support allowance (income rated) or the pension credit guarantee.

Business

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what definitions of small and medium-sized enterprises are used by the Government.

Rosie Winterton: There is no single definition of a small and medium-sized enterprise. The Companies Act 1985 and its 2006 successor Act defines small and medium firms for the purpose of qualifying for simplified accounting requirements. A company must meet two of the following criteria for two years in a row to qualify:
	 Small
	A turnover of not more than £6.5 million
	A balance sheet total of not more than £3.26 million
	Not more than 50 employees
	 Medium
	A turnover of not more than £25.9 million
	A balance sheet total of not more than £12.9 million
	Not more than 250 employees
	These definitions are specific to company law. However, BIS use the number of employees when compiling official statistical publications such as the SME statistics for the UK. So for statistical purposes, a small firm would be defined as a firm with between 0 and 49 employees and a medium enterprise would have between 50 and 249 employees.
	There is an EU definition of an SME which came into force on 1 January 2005 and is applied, for example, in state aids and for qualification to some EU programmes. The EU definition is based on headcount, turnover, balance sheet and independence criteria. More information on the EU definition can be found at the following link:
	http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/enterprise_policy/sme_definition/index_en.htm

Business: Credit

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the availability of credit to new businesses; and what steps his Department is taking to increase this availability.

Rosie Winterton: The October Bank of England report Trends in Lending stated that
	"in contrast to the business sector as a whole, annual growth rates of bank lending to SMEs have remained positive over recent months."
	While it is true to say that demand for finance remains subdued and new lending is down comparatively with 2007, the large majority of SMEs do access the finance they require.
	BIS SME lending data show that approval rates have changed little in recent months at around two thirds of applications from small firms (sub £l million turnover), and upwards of 80 per cent. (loans) and 90 per cent. (overdrafts) for medium sized firms (£l million to £25 million).
	The Government continue to encourage the banks to lend to viable SMEs and the experiences of both lenders and borrowers are discussed regularly at the Small Business Finance Forum, which will continue into 2010. The Government also have legally binding lending commitments with Lloyds Banking Group and RBS.
	In addition to standard bank lending, under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme £662.64 million of loans have been offered to SMEs and £533.63 million drawn down, as at 19 November 2009.

Business: Credit

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent estimate is of the level of availability of credit to small businesses.

Rosie Winterton: The October Bank of England report "Trends in Lending" stated that
	"in contrast to the business sector as a whole, annual growth rates of bank lending to SMEs have remained positive over recent months."
	While it is true to say that demand for finance remains subdued and new lending is down comparatively with 2007, the large majority of SMEs do access the finance they require.
	BIS SME lending data shows that approval rates have changed little in recent months at around two thirds of applications from small firms (sub £1 million turnover), and upwards of 80 per cent. (loans) and 90 per cent. (overdrafts) for medium sized firms (£1 million to £25 million).
	In addition to standard bank lending, under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme, £662.64 million of loans have been offered to SMEs and £533.63 million drawn down, as at 19 November.

Business: Government Assistance

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much lending has been supported by the small business finance scheme announced in the 2008 pre-Budget report.

Rosie Winterton: The small business finance scheme announced in the 2008 pre-Budget report was launched in January 2009 as the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG).
	As of 18 November 2009, 6,543 businesses have been offered loans totalling £662.64 million under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee. Of these, 5,374 businesses have drawn loans totalling £533.63 million.

Company Liquidations

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the amount of money which is owed to unsecured creditors by firms in liquidation.

Ian Lucas: The Insolvency Service does not collate a total figure for the amount due to unsecured creditors by firms in liquidation. However, the service's most recent profiling report for companies in compulsory liquidation for the period 2005/06 to 2007/08 shows that the average level of debt owed by companies in compulsory liquidation was as follows:
	
		
			   Average level of debt owed (£) 
			 2005/06 167,902 
			 2006/07 168,254 
			 2007/08 349,501 
		
	
	The above figures do not include amounts due to creditors in voluntary liquidations. The service is currently collecting information in respect of compulsory liquidations in the year 2008/09.

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what criminal offences have been  (a) abolished and  (b) created by primary legislation sponsored by his Department since 1 May 2008.

Patrick McFadden: There has been one criminal offence created and no criminal offences abolished by primary legislation sponsored by the Department since 1 May 2008.
	A new criminal offence was created under section 49 of the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008. Section 46 of the Act allows regulators to serve a stop notice on a person in relation to a regulatory breach. Under section 49, where a person on whom a notice is served does not comply with it, the person is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of up to £20,000 (on summary conviction) and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or a fine, or both (on conviction on indictment).
	No order has yet been made to give effect to section 49.

East Midlands Development Agency: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments the East Midlands Development Agency has made to Weber Shandwick in each of the last three years; for what purposes; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract under which such payments have been made.

Rosie Winterton: The East Midlands Development Agency (emda) has contracted with Weber Shandwick on two distinct pieces of work during the period in question:
	emda contracted with Weber Shandwick (on behalf of the RDA network) in 2008-09 to provide general support in relation to the Business and Enterprise Select Committee inquiry into RDAs-£14,148.
	Weber Shandwick's Mumbai office was also contracted, jointly with Advantage West Midlands, to provide specialist public relations support to help identify Indian businesses seeking to relocate to the UK. The costs allocated to emda amounted to £6,250 in 2007-08 and £16,975 in 2008-09.
	I am unable to place the related contracts in the House of Commons Library due to their content being commercially confidential.

Research: Government Assistance

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much Government funding has been allocated to  (a) scientific and  (b) engineering research in each year since 1996-97.

David Lammy: Science and Research Budget allocations, including funding for engineering research, will have increased from £1.3 billion in 1996-1997 to £3.9 billion in 2010-11. The following table sets out the allocation for each year. It is not possible from the classifications of the Science and Research Budget to provide an overall total for engineering research, however, the table also sets out the allocation for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for each year.
	
		
			  Science and research budget allocations from 1996-97 to 2010-11 
			  £000 
			   EPSRC  Total science and research budget 
			 1996-97 375,590 1,312,030 
			 1997-98 386,373 1,330,328 
			 1998-99 382,982 1,338,326 
			 1999-2000 397,584 1,498,123 
			 2000-01 410,850 1,587,450 
			 2001-02 436,202 1,898,066 
			 2002-03 458,540 2,055,870 
			 2003-04 465,129 2,394,525 
			 2004-05 488,414 2,626,315 
			 2005-06 568,193 3,087,136 
			 2006-07 636,294 3,236,584 
			 2007-08 721,172 3,454,742 
			 2008-09 795,057 3,554,423 
			 2009-10 814,528 3,715,423 
			 2010-11 843,465 3,970,423 
		
	
	The Allocations of the Science and Research Budget 2008-09 to 2010-11, available in the House Library, provides further details of the purpose and destination of science funding over the current Spending Review Period at:
	http://www.dius.gov.uk/science/science_funding

Science and Technology Council: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments the Science and Technology Council has made to Edelman in each of the last three years; for what purposes; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract under which such payments have been made.

David Lammy: STFC's spending with Edelman for a variety of support on stakeholder communications has been:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2006-07 40,228 
			 2007-08 19,488 
			 2008-09 59,667 
		
	
	STFC's contracts with commercial organisations are subject to commercial confidentiality and cannot therefore be placed in the Library.

South East England Development Agency: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments the South East England Development Agency has made to Edelman in each of the last three years; for what purpose; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract under which such payments have been made.

Rosie Winterton: SEEDA has made one payment of £4,761 in May to Edelman, for training of Senior Staff, in preparation to give evidence before the House of Commons South East Regional Committee. There was no contract as SEEDA purchased Edelman's service under its Standard Terms and Conditions, a copy of which can be downloaded from the SEEDA website:
	http://www.seeda.co.uk/about-us/procurement-and-tender-opportunities/general-terms-and-conditions

Students: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate has been made of the  (a) number and  (b) monetary value of emergency loans made by universities to students as a result of the time taken to process applications for student loans in the last 12 months.

David Lammy: It is not possible to estimate the number or monetary value of loans made by universities from the Access to Learning Fund (ALF).
	The Fund, which is made available by the Government and stands at £45 million for academic year 2009/10, is administered by the universities which make their own decisions on how best to use their ALF allocation, including whether or not to make short-term loans for whatever reason.

Women's Enterprise Taskforce: Expenditure

Mark Prisk: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost to the public purse was of the Women's Enterprise Taskforce in  (a) 2006-07,  (b) 2007-08 and  (c) 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The cost to the public purse of the Women's Enterprise Task Force for the years 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 was £1,000, £38,000 and £54,000 respectively.

Women's Enterprise Taskforce: Expenditure

Mark Prisk: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost was of  (a) air tickets,  (b) rail tickets,  (c) taxi fares and  (d) hotel rooms claimed by each member of the board of the Women's Enterprise Task Force in connection with the work of that taskforce in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2007-08 and (iii) 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The costs for the years 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 were: nil, £1,030 and £1,400 respectively. These were met by the South East England Development Agency, who provided secretariat support to the taskforce. There are no plans to break down these costs further.